State, county and city law enforcement agencies are ready for the third enhanced enforcement effort, during the New Year's Holiday period, to reduce crashes caused by impaired and other dangerous drivers.
This year's New Year's holiday reporting period extends from 6:00 p.m., Thursday, December 30, through 11:59 p.m., Sunday, January 2, 2011.
According to Oregon's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) statistics, since 1986, about 43 percent of traffic fatalities during the New Year's Holiday period have been in alcohol-involved crashes.
There were no traffic fatalities in Oregon during last year's 102-hour New Year's holiday period; only the second time since 1970. According to FARS statistics, during the last ten years more than five traffic deaths occurred on average each year during the New Year's Holiday period.
Since 1970, the highest number of fatalities for this holiday period happened twice, in 1998 and 1999, when 12 people died in Oregon traffic crashes.
Nationally, during the month of December 2009, 753 people were killed in crashes that involved a driver or motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level of .08 or higher. During the past decade in Oregon, more than 2,000 people have been killed and over 26,000 injured by a drinking or drugged driver.
Alcohol-impaired drivers are not the only concern for law enforcement agencies. Drug impairment and involvement in fatal traffic crashes is reflected in recently released data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Last year, about 1 in 5 drivers who were killed in car crashes tested positive for drugs. Officers trained as Drug Recognition Experts (DRE) are involved in the national "Drunk Driving. Over the Limit, Under Arrest." crackdown to help evaluate possible drug-impaired drivers.
Oregon law enforcement leaders urge all travelers to continue keeping the party off the road, fasten your safety restraints, and always have a designated sober driver to get you to your destination safely. Oregon State Police, Oregon State Sheriff's Association, and Oregon Association Chiefs of Police join ODOT officials in offering these safety tips:
* If you are planning to drink, plan ahead: designate a sober driver or arrange for a taxi to pick you up at a set time. * Volunteer to be a designated driver. * If you are hosting a party, offer plenty of non-alcoholic beverages and help your guests be responsible. Don't let someone who has been drinking get behind the wheel. * Walking or bicycling after dark? Wear bright clothes to help you stand out, and always look both ways before crossing, even at an intersection. * Be watchful when driving for pedestrians on or near the road. * Buckle up, every trip, every time. * Drive defensively at all times.
OSP and ODOT also urge drivers to not let their guard down and be aware of traffic safety corridors, highway work zones, and winter-related road condition changes. Even when workers are not present, all work zone speed limits still apply and fines double. Inactive work zones may have equipment, detours, and incomplete changes in the roadway so drivers need to slow down and be alert. ODOT's travel and road conditions website, www.TripCheck.com, contains up-to-date incident information, weather reports, alerts and other valuable "know before you go" information.
SOURCE
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Should First Time Drivers Get a Pass?
A new bill could change the way first-time DWI offenders are treated in court.
For years, deferred adjudication hasn't been an option for folks caught driving drunk.
But now, a new bill is proposed meant to ultimately acquit drunk drivers, if it's their first offense.
They would still be required to possibly complete classes, pay fines, and serve probation, but repeat-offenders would be the ones to face harsher punishments.
M.A.D.D. is in support of this bill, filed by republican Todd Smith of Euless, TX.
Should first-time drunk drivers get a pass, only to be punished if they repeat the offense?
SOURCE
For years, deferred adjudication hasn't been an option for folks caught driving drunk.
But now, a new bill is proposed meant to ultimately acquit drunk drivers, if it's their first offense.
They would still be required to possibly complete classes, pay fines, and serve probation, but repeat-offenders would be the ones to face harsher punishments.
M.A.D.D. is in support of this bill, filed by republican Todd Smith of Euless, TX.
Should first-time drunk drivers get a pass, only to be punished if they repeat the offense?
SOURCE
One-tenth of all motorists admit to drunken driving
In just the past year, one in 10 drivers admit to operating a vehicle while legally drunk – and more than half of those also say they’ve done so more than once.
The findings are from the American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety.
At the same time, 10 percent of drivers interviewed for the study admitted to operating under the influence, a full 87 percent saw the act as a “very serious threat,” according to John Townsend, spokesman for AAA Mid-Atlantic, in a written release. On the positive side of the issue, however, the nationwide number of deaths due to drunk driving has declined between 2007 and 2009.
“While the number of deaths caused by drunk and drugged driving is on the decline, there are still far too many people who are still driving drunk on our highways and roadways,” Townsend said. “Here are the cold hard facts: One person is killed every half-hour due to drunk driving and every other minute a person is seriously injured in an alcohol related crash.”
The Foundation for Traffic Safety found that 83 percent of respondents said they would lose respect for friends who drove drunk, while nine in 10 survey participants favored proactive measures for those convicted of the act.
“Ninety percent support requiring all drivers who have been convicted of DWI more than once to use an alcohol-ignition interlock – a device that prevents the driver from starting the car if his or her breath contains measurable alcohol – in their cars,” according to the Foundation for Traffic Safety.
The leading case of death for those aged 1 through 34 is motor vehicle crashes, many of which stemmed from alcohol use, the Foundation for Traffic Safety reported.
Last year, 10,839 people died in crashes involving at least one driver with some measure of alcohol in his or her blood – a non-zero blood alcohol concentration, AAA Mid-Atlantic found. That number translates to roughly one-third of all road fatalities. And of the 10,839, almost 70 percent – or 7,478 – involved at least one driver with a blood alcohol count of .15 percent or higher, or of a driver with a blood alcohol level higher than the level limit of .08 who also had a previous alcohol-related traffic conviction.
With New Year’s on the way – and a statistic that shows roughly two-and-a-half times as many people die in alcohol related wrecks on New Year’s Day than in the weeks leading up to the holiday – AAA Mid-Atlantic emphasized the need for caution.
“By taking the proper precautions … area motorists can safely take pleasure in the joys of the season,” Townsend said.
Such precautions include the use of the Washington Regional Alcohol Program’s SoberRide Campaign, which provides safe rides between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. from Dec. 28 through Jan. 1, 2011, and of taxicabs, or of friends who pledge to remain sober.
SOURCE
The findings are from the American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety.
At the same time, 10 percent of drivers interviewed for the study admitted to operating under the influence, a full 87 percent saw the act as a “very serious threat,” according to John Townsend, spokesman for AAA Mid-Atlantic, in a written release. On the positive side of the issue, however, the nationwide number of deaths due to drunk driving has declined between 2007 and 2009.
“While the number of deaths caused by drunk and drugged driving is on the decline, there are still far too many people who are still driving drunk on our highways and roadways,” Townsend said. “Here are the cold hard facts: One person is killed every half-hour due to drunk driving and every other minute a person is seriously injured in an alcohol related crash.”
The Foundation for Traffic Safety found that 83 percent of respondents said they would lose respect for friends who drove drunk, while nine in 10 survey participants favored proactive measures for those convicted of the act.
“Ninety percent support requiring all drivers who have been convicted of DWI more than once to use an alcohol-ignition interlock – a device that prevents the driver from starting the car if his or her breath contains measurable alcohol – in their cars,” according to the Foundation for Traffic Safety.
The leading case of death for those aged 1 through 34 is motor vehicle crashes, many of which stemmed from alcohol use, the Foundation for Traffic Safety reported.
Last year, 10,839 people died in crashes involving at least one driver with some measure of alcohol in his or her blood – a non-zero blood alcohol concentration, AAA Mid-Atlantic found. That number translates to roughly one-third of all road fatalities. And of the 10,839, almost 70 percent – or 7,478 – involved at least one driver with a blood alcohol count of .15 percent or higher, or of a driver with a blood alcohol level higher than the level limit of .08 who also had a previous alcohol-related traffic conviction.
With New Year’s on the way – and a statistic that shows roughly two-and-a-half times as many people die in alcohol related wrecks on New Year’s Day than in the weeks leading up to the holiday – AAA Mid-Atlantic emphasized the need for caution.
“By taking the proper precautions … area motorists can safely take pleasure in the joys of the season,” Townsend said.
Such precautions include the use of the Washington Regional Alcohol Program’s SoberRide Campaign, which provides safe rides between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. from Dec. 28 through Jan. 1, 2011, and of taxicabs, or of friends who pledge to remain sober.
SOURCE
Monday, December 20, 2010
Bill to ban cell phones while driving aimed at text-sending motorists
An Indiana lawmaker wants to stop motorists from texting, but to do so, he’s had to file a bill that would ban the use of hand-held cell phones while driving.
State Sen. Travis Holdman, R-Markle, said legislation he filed last week would make it easier for police to catch people sending text messages while they’re behind the wheel.
The bill would make it a Class C infraction to use a hand-held cell phone while driving and would give police “primary enforcement” — allowing them to pull over and ticket drivers without requiring any other traffic violation. Nine states have similar laws.
The bill would allow the use of Bluetooth devices or other “hands-free” technology on the cell phone. It would allow emergency calls to be made.
In 2009, Holdman authored the state’s graduated driver’s license law that prohibits teenage drivers, 18 and younger, from texting while driving.
He said his constituents have urged him to do more.
“The calls I’ve been getting are from young mothers,” Holdman said. “They say, ‘Will you do something so that my husband will quit texting while he’s driving?’”
Enforcing an anti-texting law is difficult, though. Holdman said law enforcement officials have told him it’s easier for police officers to spot a driver on a cell phone than it is to spot a driver sending text messages. Drivers who do so typically have their device in their lap and are using two hands to type in the message.
That’s what makes it so dangerous, as Holdman said. He cited a 2009 Virginia Tech Transportation Institute study that showed texting drivers take their eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds out of every 6 seconds.
At that rate, a texting driver traveling 55 miles an hour would travel the length of a football field without ever looking up.
The anti-texting intent of the bill received support from Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller and AT&T Indiana President George Fleetwood.
Both Zoeller and Fleetwood appeared at a press conference Thursday to push the message that driving and texting don’t mix.
Fleetwood explained why AT&T has launched a national campaign to promote that message: “Because people are dying while texting while driving,” Fleetwood said. “It’s a foolhardy practice at best. A lethal one at worst.”
Zoeller defended Holdman’s bill as an act of public safety. “This is not about personal liberty,’’ Zoeller said. “Texting while driving is entirely different from seat belt or motorcycle helmet laws and this prohibition does not infringe upon any individual rights.”
Driving while distracted by cell phones — talking or texting — appears to be a significant factor in collisions, according to some studies. The Indiana State Police reported 1,167 crashes, including four fatalities, in which “cell phone usage” was cited as a contributing factor.
“And those are the ones that drivers admit to,” Holdman said.
What kind of reception the bill will receive once the Indiana General Assembly is in session is hard to predict. Similar bills have been introduced but have failed to gain support needed for passage.
Holdman said motorists can act now, even before the bill gets a hearing, to increase safety by putting away their cell phones while driving. Holdman, Zoeller and Fleetwood said their family members have pressured them into doing so.
“It’s difficult when your cell phone rings. It’s hard not to pick it up,” said Holdman. “But you have to decide that it can wait.”
SOURCE
State Sen. Travis Holdman, R-Markle, said legislation he filed last week would make it easier for police to catch people sending text messages while they’re behind the wheel.
The bill would make it a Class C infraction to use a hand-held cell phone while driving and would give police “primary enforcement” — allowing them to pull over and ticket drivers without requiring any other traffic violation. Nine states have similar laws.
The bill would allow the use of Bluetooth devices or other “hands-free” technology on the cell phone. It would allow emergency calls to be made.
In 2009, Holdman authored the state’s graduated driver’s license law that prohibits teenage drivers, 18 and younger, from texting while driving.
He said his constituents have urged him to do more.
“The calls I’ve been getting are from young mothers,” Holdman said. “They say, ‘Will you do something so that my husband will quit texting while he’s driving?’”
Enforcing an anti-texting law is difficult, though. Holdman said law enforcement officials have told him it’s easier for police officers to spot a driver on a cell phone than it is to spot a driver sending text messages. Drivers who do so typically have their device in their lap and are using two hands to type in the message.
That’s what makes it so dangerous, as Holdman said. He cited a 2009 Virginia Tech Transportation Institute study that showed texting drivers take their eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds out of every 6 seconds.
At that rate, a texting driver traveling 55 miles an hour would travel the length of a football field without ever looking up.
The anti-texting intent of the bill received support from Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller and AT&T Indiana President George Fleetwood.
Both Zoeller and Fleetwood appeared at a press conference Thursday to push the message that driving and texting don’t mix.
Fleetwood explained why AT&T has launched a national campaign to promote that message: “Because people are dying while texting while driving,” Fleetwood said. “It’s a foolhardy practice at best. A lethal one at worst.”
Zoeller defended Holdman’s bill as an act of public safety. “This is not about personal liberty,’’ Zoeller said. “Texting while driving is entirely different from seat belt or motorcycle helmet laws and this prohibition does not infringe upon any individual rights.”
Driving while distracted by cell phones — talking or texting — appears to be a significant factor in collisions, according to some studies. The Indiana State Police reported 1,167 crashes, including four fatalities, in which “cell phone usage” was cited as a contributing factor.
“And those are the ones that drivers admit to,” Holdman said.
What kind of reception the bill will receive once the Indiana General Assembly is in session is hard to predict. Similar bills have been introduced but have failed to gain support needed for passage.
Holdman said motorists can act now, even before the bill gets a hearing, to increase safety by putting away their cell phones while driving. Holdman, Zoeller and Fleetwood said their family members have pressured them into doing so.
“It’s difficult when your cell phone rings. It’s hard not to pick it up,” said Holdman. “But you have to decide that it can wait.”
SOURCE
Drunk driving a holiday fear
Deaths from drinking and driving spike around the holidays, according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).
Alcohol is blamed for about 52 percent of fatal collisions on Christmas and 57 percent on New Years compared to a rate of 41 percent for the entire year.
MADD, a non-profit corporation established in 1980, is committed to helping victims of crimes committed by those under the influence of alcohol or drugs and increasing public awareness of problems associated with alcohol and illegal drugs.
In addition to the more than 1,200 alcohol-related deaths that will occur on the road this holiday season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that more than 25,000 people will be injured.
Even with a steady decline in fatalities, the number of drivers with DWI arrests is on the rise.
It is estimated as many as two million drunk drivers with three or more convictions and more than 400,000 with five or more convictions still drive.
MADD suggests:
• If you drink, don't drive.
• Don't let someone you know get behind the wheel if they've been drinking.
• Avoid driving during early and late evening hours on holidays.
• If you must drive, be cautious and watch for the erratic movements.
• Immediately report suspected drunk drivers .
Call 911 or *55 from a cell phone to make highway assistance calls.
SOURCE
Alcohol is blamed for about 52 percent of fatal collisions on Christmas and 57 percent on New Years compared to a rate of 41 percent for the entire year.
MADD, a non-profit corporation established in 1980, is committed to helping victims of crimes committed by those under the influence of alcohol or drugs and increasing public awareness of problems associated with alcohol and illegal drugs.
In addition to the more than 1,200 alcohol-related deaths that will occur on the road this holiday season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that more than 25,000 people will be injured.
Even with a steady decline in fatalities, the number of drivers with DWI arrests is on the rise.
It is estimated as many as two million drunk drivers with three or more convictions and more than 400,000 with five or more convictions still drive.
MADD suggests:
• If you drink, don't drive.
• Don't let someone you know get behind the wheel if they've been drinking.
• Avoid driving during early and late evening hours on holidays.
• If you must drive, be cautious and watch for the erratic movements.
• Immediately report suspected drunk drivers .
Call 911 or *55 from a cell phone to make highway assistance calls.
SOURCE
Toronto cop faces drunk-driving charges
A Toronto Police officer faces alcohol-related charges after his car crashed into a pole.
Force spokesman Mark Pugash said Const. Ravneet Dhillon, 25, was arrested following the single-vehicle collision Saturday on Dundas St. W. Dhillion was off duty at the time.
The 14 Division officer, who lives in Brampton, has been with Toronto Police since 2008.
Dhillon is charged with impaired driving and operation of a motor vehicle while having more than the legal limit of alcohol in his system.
He was ordered to appear in an Old City Hall court on Feb. 7.
SOURCE
Force spokesman Mark Pugash said Const. Ravneet Dhillon, 25, was arrested following the single-vehicle collision Saturday on Dundas St. W. Dhillion was off duty at the time.
The 14 Division officer, who lives in Brampton, has been with Toronto Police since 2008.
Dhillon is charged with impaired driving and operation of a motor vehicle while having more than the legal limit of alcohol in his system.
He was ordered to appear in an Old City Hall court on Feb. 7.
SOURCE
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
US says farewell to Four Loko
Alcopops, beverages containing both alcohol and caffeine, will no longer be available for purchase in the US after many reports emerged about students there becoming dangerously intoxicated on the drinks.
In New York, a small gathering of college students met to hold a vigil for the now banned beverages, specifically, Four Loco. Candles were held as they sang songs and reminisced about the loss of their “friend”.
As of Monday, Four Loko will not be available in its original form as a mix of both caffeine and a mixture of alcohol contained in a can. The demise of the drink stems from the direct orders of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Coming in at a whopping 12% alcohol, Four Loko is almost three times as potent as a normal beer, and one can of the fruity tasting, energy boosting drink contains a caffeine level equivalent to that of a large coffee from Starbucks.
Four Loko was believed by many to posses a fantastic taste, and when consumed, to make you feel great. However, others have a different opinion about the alcopop labeling it as a “blackout in a can”, which was responsible for many students finding themselves in the hospital after consuming the potent concoction.
The FDA’s principal deputy commissioner, Dr Joshua M Sharfstein, believed that the evidence put forward concerning alcohol and caffeine mixed together in beverages such as Four Loko, constituted a public health concern.
Four Loko will not be gone for good however. The beverage will still be available for purchase, minus the caffeine.
SOURCE
In New York, a small gathering of college students met to hold a vigil for the now banned beverages, specifically, Four Loco. Candles were held as they sang songs and reminisced about the loss of their “friend”.
As of Monday, Four Loko will not be available in its original form as a mix of both caffeine and a mixture of alcohol contained in a can. The demise of the drink stems from the direct orders of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Coming in at a whopping 12% alcohol, Four Loko is almost three times as potent as a normal beer, and one can of the fruity tasting, energy boosting drink contains a caffeine level equivalent to that of a large coffee from Starbucks.
Four Loko was believed by many to posses a fantastic taste, and when consumed, to make you feel great. However, others have a different opinion about the alcopop labeling it as a “blackout in a can”, which was responsible for many students finding themselves in the hospital after consuming the potent concoction.
The FDA’s principal deputy commissioner, Dr Joshua M Sharfstein, believed that the evidence put forward concerning alcohol and caffeine mixed together in beverages such as Four Loko, constituted a public health concern.
Four Loko will not be gone for good however. The beverage will still be available for purchase, minus the caffeine.
SOURCE
30 Million Americans Admit They Drive Drunk
About 30 million Americans a year admit to driving while drunk, and 10 million more say they get behind the wheel when under the influence of illicit drugs, according to new federal research.
On average, 13.2% of all people aged 16 and older drove under the influence of alcohol in the past year, and 4.3% drove while on illicit drugs, says a new survey from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, also known as SAMHSA.
Although the rate of drunk and drugged driving decreased slightly in the past few years, from 14.6% to 13.2%, the problem is still enormous and steps need to be found to reduce it more, researchers say.
Rates of Drunk and Drugged Drivers Drop Slightly
The rate of drugged driving also dropped, from 4.8% of drivers in 2002-2005 to 4.3% in 2006-2009, according to the SAMHSA report. “Thousands of people die each year as a result of drunk and drugged driving, and the lives of family members and friends left behind are forever scarred,” SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde, JD, says in a news release. “Some progress has been made in reducing the levels of drunk and drugged driving through education, enhanced law enforcement, and public outreach efforts.”
Still, she says, the nation “must continue to work to prevent this menace and confront these dangerous drivers in an aggressive way.”
Alarming Findings
Gil Kerlikowske, MA, director of National Drug Control Policy, says the survey reveals that “an alarmingly high percentage of Americans” drive with drugs in their systems.
“At a time when drug abuse is on the rise, it is crucial that communities act today to address the threat of drugged driving as we work to employ more targeted enforcement and develop better tools to detect the presence of drugs among drivers,” he says in the news release.
The national survey found significant differences in substance use and driving among the states.
READ FULL ARTICLE
On average, 13.2% of all people aged 16 and older drove under the influence of alcohol in the past year, and 4.3% drove while on illicit drugs, says a new survey from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, also known as SAMHSA.
Although the rate of drunk and drugged driving decreased slightly in the past few years, from 14.6% to 13.2%, the problem is still enormous and steps need to be found to reduce it more, researchers say.
Rates of Drunk and Drugged Drivers Drop Slightly
The rate of drugged driving also dropped, from 4.8% of drivers in 2002-2005 to 4.3% in 2006-2009, according to the SAMHSA report. “Thousands of people die each year as a result of drunk and drugged driving, and the lives of family members and friends left behind are forever scarred,” SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde, JD, says in a news release. “Some progress has been made in reducing the levels of drunk and drugged driving through education, enhanced law enforcement, and public outreach efforts.”
Still, she says, the nation “must continue to work to prevent this menace and confront these dangerous drivers in an aggressive way.”
Alarming Findings
Gil Kerlikowske, MA, director of National Drug Control Policy, says the survey reveals that “an alarmingly high percentage of Americans” drive with drugs in their systems.
“At a time when drug abuse is on the rise, it is crucial that communities act today to address the threat of drugged driving as we work to employ more targeted enforcement and develop better tools to detect the presence of drugs among drivers,” he says in the news release.
The national survey found significant differences in substance use and driving among the states.
READ FULL ARTICLE
Federal, local officials want to curb drunk driving this holiday season
With the holiday season quickly approaching, police are stepping up their efforts to fight drunk driving.
Monday, a high-ranking federal official announced a controversial new idea to crackdown on D-U-I loopholes.
It's being called a "No Refusal Strategy".
Federal Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is advising police officers to use a search warrant to quickly obtain blood tests from drivers who have refused a breathalyzer.
"This is not the time to rest on our laurels; the No Refusal Program represents an important weapon in the fight against drunk drivers," Secretary LaHood said.
The law supports the strategy in some 30 states, but most of them are not currently using the warrant initiative, officials said.
LaHood blames defense attorneys who counsel repeat offenders to avoid providing scientific evidence -- the results of a breath test -- that could help convict them when a drunken driving case comes to trial.
Charleston based defense attorney Mark. Peper says the policy brings up a flurry of legal and personal rights issues.
"You've got chain of custody issues, you've got training issues, this is a very scientific issue here, taking a blood sample, being able to dilute it, and read it...those are done by registered nurses and doctors." He said.
Peper says there are several mandates already in place to get drunk drivers off the streets - including a mandatory six month suspensions for drivers who refuse to be tested.
But those impacted by drunk drivers say the new idea could help.
Those impacted include People like Lisa Radvanski, a Columbia mother, who lost her son to drunken driving seven years ago.
"He went off the side of the road, over corrected - the car flipped and he was ejected," she said.
Radvanski now travels the state recounting the tragic circumstances of her son's death and urges everyone to think twice before getting behind the wheel.
When asked if law enforcement could do more to prevent drunk driving accidents and fatalities Radvanski said" I think they can. I think if you make a choice to break the law then you need to be willing to pay the consequences, you've got to be accountable for your actions."
Several states are currently testing the program with positive results.
DUI crackdowns begin in the low country and across the state this weekend.
SOURCE
Monday, a high-ranking federal official announced a controversial new idea to crackdown on D-U-I loopholes.
It's being called a "No Refusal Strategy".
Federal Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is advising police officers to use a search warrant to quickly obtain blood tests from drivers who have refused a breathalyzer.
"This is not the time to rest on our laurels; the No Refusal Program represents an important weapon in the fight against drunk drivers," Secretary LaHood said.
The law supports the strategy in some 30 states, but most of them are not currently using the warrant initiative, officials said.
LaHood blames defense attorneys who counsel repeat offenders to avoid providing scientific evidence -- the results of a breath test -- that could help convict them when a drunken driving case comes to trial.
Charleston based defense attorney Mark. Peper says the policy brings up a flurry of legal and personal rights issues.
"You've got chain of custody issues, you've got training issues, this is a very scientific issue here, taking a blood sample, being able to dilute it, and read it...those are done by registered nurses and doctors." He said.
Peper says there are several mandates already in place to get drunk drivers off the streets - including a mandatory six month suspensions for drivers who refuse to be tested.
But those impacted by drunk drivers say the new idea could help.
Those impacted include People like Lisa Radvanski, a Columbia mother, who lost her son to drunken driving seven years ago.
"He went off the side of the road, over corrected - the car flipped and he was ejected," she said.
Radvanski now travels the state recounting the tragic circumstances of her son's death and urges everyone to think twice before getting behind the wheel.
When asked if law enforcement could do more to prevent drunk driving accidents and fatalities Radvanski said" I think they can. I think if you make a choice to break the law then you need to be willing to pay the consequences, you've got to be accountable for your actions."
Several states are currently testing the program with positive results.
DUI crackdowns begin in the low country and across the state this weekend.
SOURCE
Friday, December 10, 2010
Cops begin annual campaign against drunk driving
Montclair law enforcement officials will be cracking down on drunk drivers as part of the annual holiday season "Over the Limit, Under Arrest" statewide campaign. Beginning Dec. 6, 2010 and running through Jan. 2, 2011, local and state law enforcement officials will conduct saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints looking for motorists who may be driving while intoxicated.
A concentrated national effort, the campaign helps to raise awareness about the dangers of drinking and driving through high-visibility enforcement and public education tools, including posters, banners and mobile video display signs. Launched nationally in 1999, the program works to combat drink driving during some of the busiest travel times of the year.
"This is a critical law enforcement program that can save lives during a time of the year when impaired driving traditionally increases by nearly 10 percent," said Lt. Kenneth V. Miscia, Jr., Uniform/Traffic Bureau Commander. "This initiative brings attention to the serious consequences of drunk driving and the grave danger those who choose to drink and drive pose to all who share the road with them."
Last year in New Jersey, 185 people were killed as a result of alcohol-relates crashes. That number represents 31 percent of the 583 traffic fatalities reported in the state in 2009.
Law enforcement agencies participating in the Over the Limit, Under Arrest 2010 Holiday Crackdown offers the following advice:
• Take mass transit, a taxicab, or ask a sober friend to drive you home.
• Spend the night where the activity is held
• Report impaired drivers to law enforcement. In New Jersey, drivers may dial #77 on their cell phones to report a drunk driver.
• Always buckle-up, every ride. It's your best defense against an impaired driver.
• If you're intoxicated and traveling on foot, the safest way to get home is to take a cab or have a sober friend or family member drive or escort you to your doorstep.
Motorists are also asked to subscribe to the pledge of the Ensign John R. Elliot HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers: Drive sober, be a designated driver and don't let friends drive drunk. Under the effort, local business and community groups, law enforcement agencies, and schools work together to keep drunk drivers off the road. Started in New Jersey by the Elliot family following the tragic death of their son, John, in a head-on collision with a drunk driver, the campaign has become a national model for preventing drunk driving.
SOURCE
A concentrated national effort, the campaign helps to raise awareness about the dangers of drinking and driving through high-visibility enforcement and public education tools, including posters, banners and mobile video display signs. Launched nationally in 1999, the program works to combat drink driving during some of the busiest travel times of the year.
"This is a critical law enforcement program that can save lives during a time of the year when impaired driving traditionally increases by nearly 10 percent," said Lt. Kenneth V. Miscia, Jr., Uniform/Traffic Bureau Commander. "This initiative brings attention to the serious consequences of drunk driving and the grave danger those who choose to drink and drive pose to all who share the road with them."
Last year in New Jersey, 185 people were killed as a result of alcohol-relates crashes. That number represents 31 percent of the 583 traffic fatalities reported in the state in 2009.
Law enforcement agencies participating in the Over the Limit, Under Arrest 2010 Holiday Crackdown offers the following advice:
• Take mass transit, a taxicab, or ask a sober friend to drive you home.
• Spend the night where the activity is held
• Report impaired drivers to law enforcement. In New Jersey, drivers may dial #77 on their cell phones to report a drunk driver.
• Always buckle-up, every ride. It's your best defense against an impaired driver.
• If you're intoxicated and traveling on foot, the safest way to get home is to take a cab or have a sober friend or family member drive or escort you to your doorstep.
Motorists are also asked to subscribe to the pledge of the Ensign John R. Elliot HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers: Drive sober, be a designated driver and don't let friends drive drunk. Under the effort, local business and community groups, law enforcement agencies, and schools work together to keep drunk drivers off the road. Started in New Jersey by the Elliot family following the tragic death of their son, John, in a head-on collision with a drunk driver, the campaign has become a national model for preventing drunk driving.
SOURCE
Wisconsin leads US in drunken driving
A federal report released Thursday on drinking and driving offered good news and bad news regarding its prevalence in Wisconsin.
The number of Wisconsin drivers who reported operating while intoxicated fell by nearly 3 percent from a similar report released in 2008.
But Wisconsin continues to lead the nation in the percentage of drivers who take the wheel after drinking. Nearly one in four drivers admitted driving under the influence.
"This survey demonstrates Wisconsin has a long way to go to show drunk driving is not tolerable," said Frank Harris, a state policy specialist with Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
The report, released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, says 23.7 percent of Wisconsin drivers surveyed acknowledged having driven under the influence within a year.
Nationally, the number of drivers who admitted driving under the influence fell from 14.6 percent in statistics compiled from 2002 to 2005 to 13.2 percent in the current survey, which covered 2006 through 2009.
Harris said Wisconsin's new drunken- driving law that took effect in July marked a step forward for the state.
The law created a felony charge for fourth-time drunken drivers and required use of ignition interlock devices for all drunken drivers, except first-time offenders with a blood-alcohol concentration of less than 0.15 percent. The law made first-offense drunken driving a misdemeanor when a child is in the vehicle.
MADD next year will push for Wisconsin to adopt sobriety checkpoints. The organization would like to see interlock devices for all drunken drivers. All first-time drunken-driving offenses should be crimes rather than traffic citations, Harris said.
Wisconsin was one of 10 states where 17 percent or more of those surveyed acknowledged driving under the influence.
It's not just the law that has to change, Harris said. It's also the culture.
Education has to continue.
Harris said there's still a misconception that having a beer at a Packers game would put a driver at risk for arrest.
Reaching the 0.08 percent threshold for drunken driving takes far more than that.
"It's not social drinking," he said. "It's binge drinking."
SOURCE
The number of Wisconsin drivers who reported operating while intoxicated fell by nearly 3 percent from a similar report released in 2008.
But Wisconsin continues to lead the nation in the percentage of drivers who take the wheel after drinking. Nearly one in four drivers admitted driving under the influence.
"This survey demonstrates Wisconsin has a long way to go to show drunk driving is not tolerable," said Frank Harris, a state policy specialist with Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
The report, released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, says 23.7 percent of Wisconsin drivers surveyed acknowledged having driven under the influence within a year.
Nationally, the number of drivers who admitted driving under the influence fell from 14.6 percent in statistics compiled from 2002 to 2005 to 13.2 percent in the current survey, which covered 2006 through 2009.
Harris said Wisconsin's new drunken- driving law that took effect in July marked a step forward for the state.
The law created a felony charge for fourth-time drunken drivers and required use of ignition interlock devices for all drunken drivers, except first-time offenders with a blood-alcohol concentration of less than 0.15 percent. The law made first-offense drunken driving a misdemeanor when a child is in the vehicle.
MADD next year will push for Wisconsin to adopt sobriety checkpoints. The organization would like to see interlock devices for all drunken drivers. All first-time drunken-driving offenses should be crimes rather than traffic citations, Harris said.
Wisconsin was one of 10 states where 17 percent or more of those surveyed acknowledged driving under the influence.
It's not just the law that has to change, Harris said. It's also the culture.
Education has to continue.
Harris said there's still a misconception that having a beer at a Packers game would put a driver at risk for arrest.
Reaching the 0.08 percent threshold for drunken driving takes far more than that.
"It's not social drinking," he said. "It's binge drinking."
SOURCE
Sacramento Kings assistant coach arrested on suspicion of DUI
A Sacramento Kings Assistant Coach was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving early Thursday morning.
California Highway Patrol pulled over Mario Elie, 47, around 1 a.m. on L Street and 15th Street in Downtown Sacramento for a broken tail light.
According to police reports, officers detected a strong alcohol odor coming from the vehicle, and Elie showed signs of intoxication.
Elie failed a field sobriety test and was booked into the Sacramento County Jail for drunk driving and has since been released.
He is an 11 year veteran of the National Basketball Association and 3 time NBA champion.
SOURCE
California Highway Patrol pulled over Mario Elie, 47, around 1 a.m. on L Street and 15th Street in Downtown Sacramento for a broken tail light.
According to police reports, officers detected a strong alcohol odor coming from the vehicle, and Elie showed signs of intoxication.
Elie failed a field sobriety test and was booked into the Sacramento County Jail for drunk driving and has since been released.
He is an 11 year veteran of the National Basketball Association and 3 time NBA champion.
SOURCE
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
The lurking danger of driving while texting
Alex Brown was a young, pretty, West Texas teenage girl with a rich life ahead of her. A quick sequence of events led to her lying in a field - dying.
The 17-year-old's death just over a year ago led to a crusade by her parents to encourage students to buckle up and stop texting.
Jeanne and Johnny Mac Brown travel to high schools around Texas to spread the message, and Tuesday they stopped for an assembly at Navasota High School.
Alex Brown was a senior at Seagraves High School, which is about an hour and a half southwest of Lubbock. Brown was ranked second in her class, but her college credits would have moved her to valedictorian by the end of the year and she would have had enough credits to be a sophomore in college the day she graduated high school.
"She was a good kid," Jeanne told the students at Navasota. "She loved people, no matter who they were or what they were. Everybody loved her."
On Nov. 10, 2009, Alex was running late for one of her college classes because she spent too much time on Facebook that morning, Jeanne said. That led to Alex scrambling so she wouldn't be TOO late for class. She took the more dangerous route to school - the route her parents always discouraged her to take.
Alex didn't buckle her seat belt. And then, while simultaneously carrying on text message conversations with four different friends, her pick-up truck spun out of control and crashed. Alex was thrown from her vehicle into a field. She just laid there, fading into consciousness and back out again, quickly leaving this world.
The state trooper who investigated that accident said that Alex was driving 70 miles per hour before she spun.
The Brown family followed Alex to an emergency room in Lubbock, where Alex died shortly thereafter.
The cell phone was still in the truck - and it still worked. Friends who had heard about the wreck continued to send messages to the phone. Those messages said to hang in there, and that they would come visit her in the hospital. Jeanne held Alex's phone up during Tuesday's assembly for the students to see.
SOURCE
The 17-year-old's death just over a year ago led to a crusade by her parents to encourage students to buckle up and stop texting.
Jeanne and Johnny Mac Brown travel to high schools around Texas to spread the message, and Tuesday they stopped for an assembly at Navasota High School.
Alex Brown was a senior at Seagraves High School, which is about an hour and a half southwest of Lubbock. Brown was ranked second in her class, but her college credits would have moved her to valedictorian by the end of the year and she would have had enough credits to be a sophomore in college the day she graduated high school.
"She was a good kid," Jeanne told the students at Navasota. "She loved people, no matter who they were or what they were. Everybody loved her."
On Nov. 10, 2009, Alex was running late for one of her college classes because she spent too much time on Facebook that morning, Jeanne said. That led to Alex scrambling so she wouldn't be TOO late for class. She took the more dangerous route to school - the route her parents always discouraged her to take.
Alex didn't buckle her seat belt. And then, while simultaneously carrying on text message conversations with four different friends, her pick-up truck spun out of control and crashed. Alex was thrown from her vehicle into a field. She just laid there, fading into consciousness and back out again, quickly leaving this world.
The state trooper who investigated that accident said that Alex was driving 70 miles per hour before she spun.
The Brown family followed Alex to an emergency room in Lubbock, where Alex died shortly thereafter.
The cell phone was still in the truck - and it still worked. Friends who had heard about the wreck continued to send messages to the phone. Those messages said to hang in there, and that they would come visit her in the hospital. Jeanne held Alex's phone up during Tuesday's assembly for the students to see.
SOURCE
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Troop F, MADD partner to fight drunken driving
Louisiana State Police Troop F and Mothers Against Drunk Driving announced Wednesday they have teamed up to warn others about the dangers of impaired driving.
As part of the collaboration, a Christmas tree was set up at Troop F's headquarters, adorned with pictures of victims of collisions with impaired drivers from around the state and MADD ribbons.
Troop F commander Capt. Kevin Reeves said the idea sprung from a decoration at state police headquarters in Baton Rouge.
"When I was down there about two years ago, I saw this tree in their lobby with pictures all over it," Reeves said.
Reeves said a fellow trooper he was visiting with at the time stood before the tree, looking into the eyes of the people in the pictures for about five minutes.
"He said, 'Do you know who these people are?'" Reeves said. "It's a reminder of why we do what we do. I thought it was a good idea."
Reeves said troopers contacted the local MADD chapter to discuss the matter.
"I take the time to walk in and look into these people's eyes every day," Reeves said. "And I want our troopers to do the same."
Gail Dupuy, the mother of one person depicted on the tree, knows from personal experience how impaired drivers can affect others. Her daughter, Leigh Ann Carlton, a 2001 graduate of Ouachita Parish High School, died in an crash with an impaired driver in July 2001.
READ FULL ARTICLE
As part of the collaboration, a Christmas tree was set up at Troop F's headquarters, adorned with pictures of victims of collisions with impaired drivers from around the state and MADD ribbons.
Troop F commander Capt. Kevin Reeves said the idea sprung from a decoration at state police headquarters in Baton Rouge.
"When I was down there about two years ago, I saw this tree in their lobby with pictures all over it," Reeves said.
Reeves said a fellow trooper he was visiting with at the time stood before the tree, looking into the eyes of the people in the pictures for about five minutes.
"He said, 'Do you know who these people are?'" Reeves said. "It's a reminder of why we do what we do. I thought it was a good idea."
Reeves said troopers contacted the local MADD chapter to discuss the matter.
"I take the time to walk in and look into these people's eyes every day," Reeves said. "And I want our troopers to do the same."
Gail Dupuy, the mother of one person depicted on the tree, knows from personal experience how impaired drivers can affect others. Her daughter, Leigh Ann Carlton, a 2001 graduate of Ouachita Parish High School, died in an crash with an impaired driver in July 2001.
READ FULL ARTICLE
Ex-baseball player to be sentenced in drunk driving case
Former Yankee and World Series hero Jim Leyritz will be sentenced Thursday afternoon for a drunk driving conviction.
A south Florida jury found Leyritz guilty of driving drunk in November but he was acquitted of a more serious charge of manslaughter.
The ex-baseball player could still face a maximum of six months in prison, but that's far short of the 15 years he could have faced for hitting and killing 30-year-old Freida Veitch while driving drunk.
Leyritz was emotional when the verdict was read on November 20. After hearing the verdict he walked over and thanked jurors.
According to court documents, the incident began as a 2007 nighttime celebration for Leyritz, who was ringing in his 44th birthday with friends in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, bars.
While driving a friend home shortly after 3 a.m. on December 28, 2007, his red 2006 Ford Expedition hit Veitch's vehicle. She was thrown from her dark green 2000 Mitsubishi Montero.
READ MORE
A south Florida jury found Leyritz guilty of driving drunk in November but he was acquitted of a more serious charge of manslaughter.
The ex-baseball player could still face a maximum of six months in prison, but that's far short of the 15 years he could have faced for hitting and killing 30-year-old Freida Veitch while driving drunk.
Leyritz was emotional when the verdict was read on November 20. After hearing the verdict he walked over and thanked jurors.
According to court documents, the incident began as a 2007 nighttime celebration for Leyritz, who was ringing in his 44th birthday with friends in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, bars.
While driving a friend home shortly after 3 a.m. on December 28, 2007, his red 2006 Ford Expedition hit Veitch's vehicle. She was thrown from her dark green 2000 Mitsubishi Montero.
READ MORE
Friday, November 26, 2010
Get The Best Winter Tires For Safe Winter Driving
Find the best winter tires so you can be ready for safe winter driving. I think the Goodyear Nordic tires are the best and you might think that too...read this article to find out what makes these winter tires the best...better than all the rest.
Photo Caption: Interesting Fact: When equipped with a set of Goodyear Nordic winter tires, you are able to stop shorter on average up to a distance of 60' while traveling at 60km/h.
(NC)—As winter approaches, Canadians begin to prepare not only for winter, but for safe winter driving. For all drivers this should include changing all-season tires over to winter tires.
Winter tires are designed for winter driving conditions – colder temperatures, snow and ice – and are therefore safer for winter driving than all-season tires. At temperatures below 7 C, all season tires begin to lose elasticity and traction. Winter tires are made with a compound that retains elasticity and gives better control and traction not only in ice and snow, but also on cold, dry pavement. The Goodyear Nordic, for example, stops on average up to 60 feet sooner than a best-selling all season tire travelling at 60 km/hr.
A few tips to remember when installing your winter tires this year:
Winter tires should always be installed in sets of four. Failing to do so may cause loss of vehicle control.
Don't think you're safe if you drive an SUV or truck – all passenger vehicles should be equipped with winter tires.
When purchasing winter tires look for the mountain/snowflake logo on the tire sidewall which indicates the tire has met or exceeded the Rubber Association of Canada's standards for acceptable winter tire performance.
Purchase winter tires as a package with wheels to save time and cost mounting tires onto your existing wheels and reduce stress on your tires, leading to longer tire life.
Look for affordable opportunities to be ready for winter driving. For example, this fall Canadian Tire offers deferred payment on a set of winter tires purchased using their Canadian Tire Options® MasterCard® with no interest, no payment and no fees for 12 months.
Check out your local Goodyear dealer to find the best deals on the best winter tires out there. You know what Canadian winters are like, so if these Goodyears work up in Canada, they will work anywhere there is cold and snowy weather. Be safe this winter, get the best winter tires for your vehicle.
SOURCE
Photo Caption: Interesting Fact: When equipped with a set of Goodyear Nordic winter tires, you are able to stop shorter on average up to a distance of 60' while traveling at 60km/h.
(NC)—As winter approaches, Canadians begin to prepare not only for winter, but for safe winter driving. For all drivers this should include changing all-season tires over to winter tires.
Winter tires are designed for winter driving conditions – colder temperatures, snow and ice – and are therefore safer for winter driving than all-season tires. At temperatures below 7 C, all season tires begin to lose elasticity and traction. Winter tires are made with a compound that retains elasticity and gives better control and traction not only in ice and snow, but also on cold, dry pavement. The Goodyear Nordic, for example, stops on average up to 60 feet sooner than a best-selling all season tire travelling at 60 km/hr.
A few tips to remember when installing your winter tires this year:
Winter tires should always be installed in sets of four. Failing to do so may cause loss of vehicle control.
Don't think you're safe if you drive an SUV or truck – all passenger vehicles should be equipped with winter tires.
When purchasing winter tires look for the mountain/snowflake logo on the tire sidewall which indicates the tire has met or exceeded the Rubber Association of Canada's standards for acceptable winter tire performance.
Purchase winter tires as a package with wheels to save time and cost mounting tires onto your existing wheels and reduce stress on your tires, leading to longer tire life.
Look for affordable opportunities to be ready for winter driving. For example, this fall Canadian Tire offers deferred payment on a set of winter tires purchased using their Canadian Tire Options® MasterCard® with no interest, no payment and no fees for 12 months.
Check out your local Goodyear dealer to find the best deals on the best winter tires out there. You know what Canadian winters are like, so if these Goodyears work up in Canada, they will work anywhere there is cold and snowy weather. Be safe this winter, get the best winter tires for your vehicle.
SOURCE
NSW Police safe driving campaign starts
NSW drink and drug drivers are being warned they will be caught, as police launch Australia and New Zealand's biggest crackdown operation.
Operation RAID (Remove All Impaired Drivers) began at 0001 (AEDT) on Friday and will continue until just before midnight on Sunday, December 12.
NSW police Assistant Commissioner John Hartley warned motorists they will have nowhere to hide during the operation.
'If you have taken drugs, or you are drinking and driving, you will be targeted,' Asst Comm Hartley said in a statement on Friday.
'Police will be out in force and we will find you.'
More than 5000 motorists were charged with drink-driving offences around the country during Operation RAID last year.
Asst Comm Hartley said 393 people have died on NSW roads this year, with statistics showing alcohol plays a factor in about a quarter of fatal crashes.
'I urge motorists to take personal responsibility for their driving behaviour and to remember that anyone who acts up behind the wheel will be caught and will be dealt with under the full force of the law,' he said.
SOURCE
Operation RAID (Remove All Impaired Drivers) began at 0001 (AEDT) on Friday and will continue until just before midnight on Sunday, December 12.
NSW police Assistant Commissioner John Hartley warned motorists they will have nowhere to hide during the operation.
'If you have taken drugs, or you are drinking and driving, you will be targeted,' Asst Comm Hartley said in a statement on Friday.
'Police will be out in force and we will find you.'
More than 5000 motorists were charged with drink-driving offences around the country during Operation RAID last year.
Asst Comm Hartley said 393 people have died on NSW roads this year, with statistics showing alcohol plays a factor in about a quarter of fatal crashes.
'I urge motorists to take personal responsibility for their driving behaviour and to remember that anyone who acts up behind the wheel will be caught and will be dealt with under the full force of the law,' he said.
SOURCE
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Let's Have A Safe Holiday: No Drinking And Driving
Holiday weekends have been targeted as times that need the extra vigilance. To many people take to the roads after drinking. It is important that this not happen.
From 2005 to 2007, 23 people died in Minnesota traffic accidents during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Thirteen were alcohol-related crashes. Therefore, it was identified by the State Patrol as the deadliest weekend.
Operation NightCAP is a federally funded program that puts overtime police officers on extra patrols in Minnesota’s 15 deadliest counties. The thought behind identifying the holiday increase is to get the word out so that drunk drivers may think twice about taking to the roads. “The goal here isn’t to stop people from having a good time,” State Patrol Lt. Mark Peterson said.” “The whole idea is for [drunk drivers] to believe that they’re going to get caught.”
In any drunk driving collision, there are a number of issues that will need to be reviewed. My partner, Joe Crumley, addressed this topic in a past article for the Minnesota Lawyers Trial magazine. Beyond the accident, there may be Dram shop issues that have to be investigated.
SOURCE
From 2005 to 2007, 23 people died in Minnesota traffic accidents during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Thirteen were alcohol-related crashes. Therefore, it was identified by the State Patrol as the deadliest weekend.
Operation NightCAP is a federally funded program that puts overtime police officers on extra patrols in Minnesota’s 15 deadliest counties. The thought behind identifying the holiday increase is to get the word out so that drunk drivers may think twice about taking to the roads. “The goal here isn’t to stop people from having a good time,” State Patrol Lt. Mark Peterson said.” “The whole idea is for [drunk drivers] to believe that they’re going to get caught.”
In any drunk driving collision, there are a number of issues that will need to be reviewed. My partner, Joe Crumley, addressed this topic in a past article for the Minnesota Lawyers Trial magazine. Beyond the accident, there may be Dram shop issues that have to be investigated.
SOURCE
Friday, November 19, 2010
Drunk driving in Texas - Editorial Board Sounds Off
Every week, we poll the members of the editorial board on a timely and divisive topic. This week, the question is:
Texas ranks among the 10 states that have done the least to prevent alcohol-related traffic fatalities, according to a report released this week by the National Transportation Safety Board. Our news story on this explained that Texas has one of highest proportions of drunken driving deaths in the country, yet has implemented only four of the federal agency's 11 recommendations to eliminate "hard core" drunken driving. For details, go here. Given these facts, what are the most important dditional measures - if any - do you think we should be advocating for when the Texas Legislature convenes in January?
Here are their responses:
Keven Ann Willey, editor of the editorial page:
Frankly, I was surprised to learn that Texas employs only four of the recommended 11 sanctions against DWI, especially given the enormity of the problem in this state. As our news story the other day pointed out, fully 40 percent of traffic accidents statewide involved a drunk driver - the fifth highest in the country. That's huge. Just last week, we read about a man who was convicted of a double murder while driving drunk in Denton County. This guy had three previous DWI convictions (which means he probably actually had many more DWI issues, given that the state's permissive plea bargain laws allow for many DWI-related offenses to occur before they actually get prosecuted as an actual DWI offense).What was this guy doing behind the wheel in the first place?
Unfortunately the online version of our story doesn't include the detail that was actually in the paper about what Texas does and doesn't do. In shorthand, the state reportedly does four things well: revoke licenses, impose heightened penalties for high blood-alcohol levels (over 0.15), allow judges to weigh past DWI offenses when assessing penalties for new offenses, and sanction hard-core offenders especially harshly.
Among the actions the state hasn't taken that the safety board thinks it should, in shorthand: employ more sobriety checkpoints, impound more vehicles or use interlock devices more commonly, eliminate diversion programs, impose penalties for driving with a 0.08 blood-alcohol level, develop a "hot sheet" program to identify frequent offenders, develop other confinement alternatives, outlaw plea bargaining, etc....
I think the highest priority should be focusing on repeat offenders. We need to eliminate the difficulty of taking these ticking time bombs off the road. Judges should mandate interlock devices and impound cars of itinerate alcohol abusers more frequently. Developing a "hot sheet" program to identify frequent offenders - sort of like a terrorist watch list at airports - makes tremendous sense to me.
I'm even sympathetic to an idea put forth by one of our volunteer Voices columnists - a retired Dallas cop named Scotty Holt - at a workshop we held with them earlier this week. He argued for making blood-alcohol tests mandatory for anybody pulled over on suspicion of DWI. This would be a bit more costly on the front end; blood tests for all. But it would be much cheaper - and more sensible - in the long run by eliminating much of the legal maneuvering and gamesmanship surrounding DWI prosecutions. It would provide unambiguous evidence - either your blood alcohol was over the limit or not - of your status. It should be a much more black-and-white, fact-based process. So do the blood work, get the answer, take your penalty (or walk if your level was OK). Get it done. Quit with the diversionary tactics. Move on.
READ FULL ARTICLE HERE
Texas ranks among the 10 states that have done the least to prevent alcohol-related traffic fatalities, according to a report released this week by the National Transportation Safety Board. Our news story on this explained that Texas has one of highest proportions of drunken driving deaths in the country, yet has implemented only four of the federal agency's 11 recommendations to eliminate "hard core" drunken driving. For details, go here. Given these facts, what are the most important dditional measures - if any - do you think we should be advocating for when the Texas Legislature convenes in January?
Here are their responses:
Keven Ann Willey, editor of the editorial page:
Frankly, I was surprised to learn that Texas employs only four of the recommended 11 sanctions against DWI, especially given the enormity of the problem in this state. As our news story the other day pointed out, fully 40 percent of traffic accidents statewide involved a drunk driver - the fifth highest in the country. That's huge. Just last week, we read about a man who was convicted of a double murder while driving drunk in Denton County. This guy had three previous DWI convictions (which means he probably actually had many more DWI issues, given that the state's permissive plea bargain laws allow for many DWI-related offenses to occur before they actually get prosecuted as an actual DWI offense).What was this guy doing behind the wheel in the first place?
Unfortunately the online version of our story doesn't include the detail that was actually in the paper about what Texas does and doesn't do. In shorthand, the state reportedly does four things well: revoke licenses, impose heightened penalties for high blood-alcohol levels (over 0.15), allow judges to weigh past DWI offenses when assessing penalties for new offenses, and sanction hard-core offenders especially harshly.
Among the actions the state hasn't taken that the safety board thinks it should, in shorthand: employ more sobriety checkpoints, impound more vehicles or use interlock devices more commonly, eliminate diversion programs, impose penalties for driving with a 0.08 blood-alcohol level, develop a "hot sheet" program to identify frequent offenders, develop other confinement alternatives, outlaw plea bargaining, etc....
I think the highest priority should be focusing on repeat offenders. We need to eliminate the difficulty of taking these ticking time bombs off the road. Judges should mandate interlock devices and impound cars of itinerate alcohol abusers more frequently. Developing a "hot sheet" program to identify frequent offenders - sort of like a terrorist watch list at airports - makes tremendous sense to me.
I'm even sympathetic to an idea put forth by one of our volunteer Voices columnists - a retired Dallas cop named Scotty Holt - at a workshop we held with them earlier this week. He argued for making blood-alcohol tests mandatory for anybody pulled over on suspicion of DWI. This would be a bit more costly on the front end; blood tests for all. But it would be much cheaper - and more sensible - in the long run by eliminating much of the legal maneuvering and gamesmanship surrounding DWI prosecutions. It would provide unambiguous evidence - either your blood alcohol was over the limit or not - of your status. It should be a much more black-and-white, fact-based process. So do the blood work, get the answer, take your penalty (or walk if your level was OK). Get it done. Quit with the diversionary tactics. Move on.
READ FULL ARTICLE HERE
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Maker of Four Loko to stop shipments to NY state
The maker of a caffeinated alcoholic drink that has been banned in four states has agreed to stop shipments to New York state.
Gov. David Paterson and the State Liquor Authority announced the agreement Sunday with Chicago-based Phusion Projects, which makes the drink Four Loko, and with the state's largest beer distributors to stop selling caffeinated alcoholic beverages.
"New Yorkers deserve to know that the beverages they buy are safe for consumption," Paterson said.
The company agreed to stop shipping the drinks by Nov. 19. Distributors have until Dec. 10 to finish out their inventory.
The popular drinks have been banned in Washington, Michigan, Utah and Oklahoma.
Four Loko comes in several varieties, including fruit punch and blue raspberry. A 23.5-ounce can sells for about $2.50 and has an alcohol content of 12 percent, comparable to four beers, according to the company's website.
"This drink is too easy for teens to get and too dangerous for them to consume," said state Sen. Joel Klein in a statement. He announced on Sunday, along with the State Liquor Authority, that a minor working undercover for the police was illegally sold Four Loko at 11 of 28 stores in the Bronx on Nov. 9.
College students have been hospitalized after drinking the beverages, including in New Jersey, where one school banned them on campus.
Phusion also agreed to fund alcohol awareness programs as part of the agreement. In a statement, co-founder Jaisen Freeman said the company believes that mixing alcohol and caffeine is safe, but the company wanted "to be known for cooperation and collaboration, not controversy."
"We were the first company to take this voluntary step," he said. "And we think it shows that we are not turning a deaf ear to what's going on: that a select few have chosen to abuse our products, drink them while underage or break the law and sell them to minors."
New York's liquor regulators said there was insufficient evidence to show that the products were safe.
"We have an obligation to keep products that are potentially hazardous off the shelves, and there is simply not enough research to show that these products are safe," said Dennis Rosen, chairman of the state Liquor Authority, in a statement.
Steve Harris, president of the New York State Beer Wholesalers Association, said some of its members have agreed to stop selling the drinks and the association's executive committee is recommending that the entire membership follow suit.
"We are pleased to be a partner in the process of resolving the tangled issues that have surrounded these products," he said.
The federal Food and Drug Administration said in late 2009 that it had notified at least 30 manufacturers of caffeinated alcoholic drinks that they were reviewing the products' safety.
SOURCE
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Teen driving: practice and parenting makes a better driver
Possibly one of the biggest dangers to teen drivers is themselves.
That's why many education programs require teens to only drive with one other teen in vehicle while they are getting their license.
But, a lot can be done by the parent to prevent accidents.
Twin Falls Driver’s Education Coordinator Mark Schaal said, "The more experience you can provide these kids the better drivers they're gonna be. Hopefully prevent them from being in any type of accidents."
Schaal says in his 23 year's of experience as a drivers instructor, he’s seen the students who come in with some knowledge of driving a vehicle do a better in class.
He said, "It comes down to an experience factor as the bottom line, the kids that have been out behind the wheel or been on some type of vehicle, have some ideas about the control the speed."
This can go a long way when educating teens on how to safely operate a vehicle.
But now a days it’s tough to keep teens eyes on the road with more distractions than ever. Cell phones are the latest distractions for teen drivers along with there peers.
Schaal said, "Anytime you get 4 or 5 teenagers in the car socially energized environment, sometimes bad things are going to happen. they get to driving things teenagers do and forget about the driving task at hand that's when the problems occure."
That's why teen's are required to only drive with one other person their age for 6 months after getting their license.
But, according to new statistics, parents play a big part in keeping their teens safe out on the road.
SOURCE
That's why many education programs require teens to only drive with one other teen in vehicle while they are getting their license.
But, a lot can be done by the parent to prevent accidents.
Twin Falls Driver’s Education Coordinator Mark Schaal said, "The more experience you can provide these kids the better drivers they're gonna be. Hopefully prevent them from being in any type of accidents."
Schaal says in his 23 year's of experience as a drivers instructor, he’s seen the students who come in with some knowledge of driving a vehicle do a better in class.
He said, "It comes down to an experience factor as the bottom line, the kids that have been out behind the wheel or been on some type of vehicle, have some ideas about the control the speed."
This can go a long way when educating teens on how to safely operate a vehicle.
But now a days it’s tough to keep teens eyes on the road with more distractions than ever. Cell phones are the latest distractions for teen drivers along with there peers.
Schaal said, "Anytime you get 4 or 5 teenagers in the car socially energized environment, sometimes bad things are going to happen. they get to driving things teenagers do and forget about the driving task at hand that's when the problems occure."
That's why teen's are required to only drive with one other person their age for 6 months after getting their license.
But, according to new statistics, parents play a big part in keeping their teens safe out on the road.
SOURCE
Friday, November 12, 2010
Alco-Buddy's November Special Offer
Alco-Buddy has a new special offer this month for entrepreneurs looking take there small business to the next level. For those who are new and are looking to start up a small business, be sure to check out this offer. Buy 10 Alco-buddy Machines and you get 1 FREE. Happy Safe Driving!
Be sure to check out Alco-Buddy.com
Traffic cops educate students about safe driving
KANPUR: Road discipline ensures smooth and safe movement of traffic. The traffic cops visited Sir Padampat Singhania Education Centre on Thursday as part of the ongoing traffic month and apprised students about traffic laws.
The students from classes 6 to 12 witnessed the demonstration given by cops on safe driving in the school playground between 11 and 12.30 pm. SP traffic RP Gautam and CO traffic Surendranath Tewari emphasised on collective responsibility of the citizens on road safety.
Gautam said that the need of the hour is to cope with the increasing number of road accidents. The main reasons of fatal accidents are the poor condition of roads, vehicles or the mental state of the driver. He said that the parents are responsible for encouraging the under-age driving. The SP warned the students that action will be taken against the ones who violate the traffic rules.
Later, traffic cops Afaq Ahmed and Hari Shanker Verma gave a demonstration on safe driving. Ahmed emphasised that all persons should wear the seat belts while sitting in the car. One must wear a helmet while driving a two-wheeler and avoid use of a mobile phone.
CO traffic Surendranath Tiwari told the students about the aim of traffic awareness. He asked the students to read the pamphlets on safety rules. The CO said that overspeeding and breaking the law can be a thrill for sometime but ultimately a big loss for the family.
Class IX students were shown video on traffic rules and regulations.
Principal Reeta Midha advised the students to abide by traffic rules.
SOURCE
The students from classes 6 to 12 witnessed the demonstration given by cops on safe driving in the school playground between 11 and 12.30 pm. SP traffic RP Gautam and CO traffic Surendranath Tewari emphasised on collective responsibility of the citizens on road safety.
Gautam said that the need of the hour is to cope with the increasing number of road accidents. The main reasons of fatal accidents are the poor condition of roads, vehicles or the mental state of the driver. He said that the parents are responsible for encouraging the under-age driving. The SP warned the students that action will be taken against the ones who violate the traffic rules.
Later, traffic cops Afaq Ahmed and Hari Shanker Verma gave a demonstration on safe driving. Ahmed emphasised that all persons should wear the seat belts while sitting in the car. One must wear a helmet while driving a two-wheeler and avoid use of a mobile phone.
CO traffic Surendranath Tiwari told the students about the aim of traffic awareness. He asked the students to read the pamphlets on safety rules. The CO said that overspeeding and breaking the law can be a thrill for sometime but ultimately a big loss for the family.
Class IX students were shown video on traffic rules and regulations.
Principal Reeta Midha advised the students to abide by traffic rules.
SOURCE
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Alco-Buddy Tool Helps Prevent Halloween Drunk Driving Tragedies
Holbrook, NY—Halloween is fast becoming one of the most scary and deadliest holidays on U.S. highways. With millions of Americans making plans to attend Halloween parties this week, a New York company urges partygoers who plan to drink to take a simple test before they get behind the wheel. Alco-Buddy, a patented breathalyzer with a accuracy rate of +/- .01, allows bar patrons to test their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level and prevent them from hitting the roads and endangering others.
“People are gearing up this week for Halloween parties at their local bars. Alco-Buddy is a simple and affordable test that gives patrons the information they need to make a responsible decision about driving if they’ve had too much to drink.” says John Berlingieri of Alco-Buddy.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) survey estimates 1 in 5 Americans admit they have driven drunk. The statistics for Halloween drunk driving are frightening. According to NHTSA, nearly 60% of all Halloween highway fatalities across the country involved a driver with a BAC of .08.
Berlingieri added, “Prevention is key. Drunk driving is a serious problem in this country and can not only lead to tragedy but also jail time, loss of your license and increased insurance rates. Alco-Buddy can help prevent drunk driving by providing patrons with accurate information quickly so they can make a responsible decision, stay off the roads and find another way home.”
Alco-Buddy.com
“People are gearing up this week for Halloween parties at their local bars. Alco-Buddy is a simple and affordable test that gives patrons the information they need to make a responsible decision about driving if they’ve had too much to drink.” says John Berlingieri of Alco-Buddy.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) survey estimates 1 in 5 Americans admit they have driven drunk. The statistics for Halloween drunk driving are frightening. According to NHTSA, nearly 60% of all Halloween highway fatalities across the country involved a driver with a BAC of .08.
Berlingieri added, “Prevention is key. Drunk driving is a serious problem in this country and can not only lead to tragedy but also jail time, loss of your license and increased insurance rates. Alco-Buddy can help prevent drunk driving by providing patrons with accurate information quickly so they can make a responsible decision, stay off the roads and find another way home.”
Alco-Buddy.com
Review of B.C.'s impaired laws controversial
B.C. restaurant and bar owners are expressing relief at news that the provincial government is mulling changes to strict new impaired driving laws, but not everyone supports relaxing the enforcement.
Solicitor General Rich Coleman said Monday his office would review the new penalties that came into effect in September in light of complaints from the food and beverage industry. The B.C. Restaurant and Foodservices Association estimates some businesses have seen sales drop between 15 and 30 per cent, and welcomed the news of the review.
"I think it's good for everyone that works in this industry," said Tim Murphy, general manager of the Shark Club in downtown Vancouver.
The new laws introduced tough roadside penalties for anyone caught with a blood alcohol level over .05, leading many people to conclude they cannot legally drive after one drink.
"I think if they're going to review it and look at it and they have a plan for it and it's done properly, it should be a good thing."
No discretion required: MADD
Coleman also said police need to exercise more discretion and shouldn't always tow vehicles for people who blow over .05.
READ MORE
Solicitor General Rich Coleman said Monday his office would review the new penalties that came into effect in September in light of complaints from the food and beverage industry. The B.C. Restaurant and Foodservices Association estimates some businesses have seen sales drop between 15 and 30 per cent, and welcomed the news of the review.
"I think it's good for everyone that works in this industry," said Tim Murphy, general manager of the Shark Club in downtown Vancouver.
The new laws introduced tough roadside penalties for anyone caught with a blood alcohol level over .05, leading many people to conclude they cannot legally drive after one drink.
"I think if they're going to review it and look at it and they have a plan for it and it's done properly, it should be a good thing."
No discretion required: MADD
Coleman also said police need to exercise more discretion and shouldn't always tow vehicles for people who blow over .05.
READ MORE
Plea Deal still unknown for Jets Receiver Braylon Edwards in Drunk-Driving case
Jets receiver Braylon Edwards caught a long touchdown pass two days ago, but he hasn't scored a plea deal yet in his drunk-driving case.
The fleet-footed Edwards could only watch as the lawyers explained to a Manhattan judge that they were still dickering over what to do.
"We're still in those discussions," said Assistant District Attorney Alyssa Gunther, who did not make a plea offer in court.
After court, Edwards' lawyer insisted the discussions between the two sides were not plea discussions but an "open dialogue."
"He's not getting any special treatment," Peter Frankel said of his neatly tailored client.
As for Edwards, "he's super focused on what he's doing - and he's doing great," Frankel said.
Edwards was slammed with drunk driving charges on Sept. 21 after taking the wheel with twice the legal limit of alcohol in his system, officials charge.
The one-time Pro Bowler reeked of liquor when he was arrested shortly before sunrise while driving a 2007 Range Rover with two teammates in Manhattan.
"I had a couple of drinks," Edwards told the arresting officer. "We were just coming home from a party. What about if I just leave the car and take a cab and go home?"
The cop said no and slapped the cuffs on the receiver.
Edwards was flagged at the corner of W. 34th St. and 12th Ave. because of his tinted windows, which are illegal if cops can't see through them.
SOURCE
The fleet-footed Edwards could only watch as the lawyers explained to a Manhattan judge that they were still dickering over what to do.
"We're still in those discussions," said Assistant District Attorney Alyssa Gunther, who did not make a plea offer in court.
After court, Edwards' lawyer insisted the discussions between the two sides were not plea discussions but an "open dialogue."
"He's not getting any special treatment," Peter Frankel said of his neatly tailored client.
As for Edwards, "he's super focused on what he's doing - and he's doing great," Frankel said.
Edwards was slammed with drunk driving charges on Sept. 21 after taking the wheel with twice the legal limit of alcohol in his system, officials charge.
The one-time Pro Bowler reeked of liquor when he was arrested shortly before sunrise while driving a 2007 Range Rover with two teammates in Manhattan.
"I had a couple of drinks," Edwards told the arresting officer. "We were just coming home from a party. What about if I just leave the car and take a cab and go home?"
The cop said no and slapped the cuffs on the receiver.
Edwards was flagged at the corner of W. 34th St. and 12th Ave. because of his tinted windows, which are illegal if cops can't see through them.
SOURCE
Monday, November 8, 2010
Alco-Buddy Route Wear
Starting your own small business with Alco-Buddy? Get fitted with the Alco-Buddy shirt to let establishments know who you are and what business you are supporting. You have to dress to impress to be successful. Get your Alco-Buddy business running together and start securing your financial future!
More info, visit the website. Alco-Buddy.com
More info, visit the website. Alco-Buddy.com
UPS Delivers Safe Driving Expertise to Boys & Girls Clubs
On Nov. 15, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta and UPS are offering local Club members a comprehensive teen safe driving course – the UPS Road Code -- that incorporates UPS’s world-class safe-driving methods.
Teen driving accidents are the leading cause of adolescent deaths in America (1 in 3 teen deaths), and young people in Georgia often don’t have the driving skills they need to stay safe behind the wheel. To combat that, UPS and Boys & Girls Clubs of America have joined forces to teach teens to drive safer.
On Nov. 15, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta and UPS are offering local Club members a comprehensive teen safe driving course – the UPS Road Code -- that incorporates UPS’s world-class safe-driving methods. The four-hour session includes the latest interactive tools developed to train UPS’ newest drivers.
The UPS Foundation has given $2 million to this cause nationally and is supplying driving experts to serve as volunteer instructors. The Warren/Holyfield branch of Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta is one of 22 Boys & Girls Clubs across the country participating in the UPS Road Code program.
READ FULL ARTICLE
Teen driving accidents are the leading cause of adolescent deaths in America (1 in 3 teen deaths), and young people in Georgia often don’t have the driving skills they need to stay safe behind the wheel. To combat that, UPS and Boys & Girls Clubs of America have joined forces to teach teens to drive safer.
On Nov. 15, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta and UPS are offering local Club members a comprehensive teen safe driving course – the UPS Road Code -- that incorporates UPS’s world-class safe-driving methods. The four-hour session includes the latest interactive tools developed to train UPS’ newest drivers.
The UPS Foundation has given $2 million to this cause nationally and is supplying driving experts to serve as volunteer instructors. The Warren/Holyfield branch of Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta is one of 22 Boys & Girls Clubs across the country participating in the UPS Road Code program.
READ FULL ARTICLE
MADD wants you to think ahead this holiday season
As police across Edmonton set up Checkstops this holiday season, Mothers Against Drunk Driving Canada wants to make sure you get the message.
If you're going to have a few drinks at a party, MADD wants you to plan ahead by arranging for a designated driver, calling a taxi, or staying overnight.
National President Denise Dubyk lost her son-in-law in an impaired driving collision in May, 2000.
"I'll never forget that morning, I'll never forget seeing the pain in my daughter's eyes or in the eyes of my grandsons who were just 2 and 6 at the time. As a mother and grandmother there was nothing I could do to protect them."
MADD says impaired driving is the leading criminal cause of death in Canada, claiming over 12 hundred lives in 2007 alone.
SOURCE
If you're going to have a few drinks at a party, MADD wants you to plan ahead by arranging for a designated driver, calling a taxi, or staying overnight.
National President Denise Dubyk lost her son-in-law in an impaired driving collision in May, 2000.
"I'll never forget that morning, I'll never forget seeing the pain in my daughter's eyes or in the eyes of my grandsons who were just 2 and 6 at the time. As a mother and grandmother there was nothing I could do to protect them."
MADD says impaired driving is the leading criminal cause of death in Canada, claiming over 12 hundred lives in 2007 alone.
SOURCE
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Oak Forest High School to stress safe driving
Oak Forest senior Alicia Tracy tried on a pair of goggles that are supposed to simulate what it's like to be drunk. But there was a serious purpose behind it.
Called Fatal Vision Goggles, the specs distort one's vision enough to make even the simplest of tasks incredibly difficult.
Giving demonstrations with the goggles is one way the school staff may do to stress the importance of safe driving.
Oak Forest recently received an Operation Teen Safe Driving Grant for the second year in a row, courtesy of the Illinois Department of Transportation. The district will take the $2,000 grant and implement a variety of activities to reinforce not driving while drunk or distracted by other things such as texting.
"They really throw off your equilibrium," Tracy said of the glasses. "I looked down at my feet and it felt like they were right in front of my. They really alter your depth perception."
The school's program will be from Dec. 1 through the end of February. School officials are still finalizing what activities they will undertake.
Oak Forest driver education and physical education teacher Tom Monahan said the program provides some necessary reinforcement of what he teaches in class.
It's programs like this that have contributed to fewer teen deaths in Illinois over the past few years, Monahan said.
He said giving kids more time to prepare and learn before getting their driver's licenses has helped too. In the past few years the state has increased the number of hours behind the wheel a student must have before getting their license from 25 to 50. A student must also have their learning permit for nine months instead of three before they can get their licenses.
SOURCE
Called Fatal Vision Goggles, the specs distort one's vision enough to make even the simplest of tasks incredibly difficult.
Giving demonstrations with the goggles is one way the school staff may do to stress the importance of safe driving.
Oak Forest recently received an Operation Teen Safe Driving Grant for the second year in a row, courtesy of the Illinois Department of Transportation. The district will take the $2,000 grant and implement a variety of activities to reinforce not driving while drunk or distracted by other things such as texting.
"They really throw off your equilibrium," Tracy said of the glasses. "I looked down at my feet and it felt like they were right in front of my. They really alter your depth perception."
The school's program will be from Dec. 1 through the end of February. School officials are still finalizing what activities they will undertake.
Oak Forest driver education and physical education teacher Tom Monahan said the program provides some necessary reinforcement of what he teaches in class.
It's programs like this that have contributed to fewer teen deaths in Illinois over the past few years, Monahan said.
He said giving kids more time to prepare and learn before getting their driver's licenses has helped too. In the past few years the state has increased the number of hours behind the wheel a student must have before getting their license from 25 to 50. A student must also have their learning permit for nine months instead of three before they can get their licenses.
SOURCE
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Teen dressed up as a Breathalyzer arrested
A Nebraska teenager dressed up as a breathalyser for Halloween was arrested for drink-driving after leaving a party.
Matthew Nieveen, 19, was arrested early on Monday morning for driving under the influence and being a minor in possession of alcohol, according to police.
Police in Lincoln pulled Nieveen over in his Ford F-150 after the partygoer was allegedly spotted driving erratically.
His blood alcohol level was more than twice the state's .08 limit.
Chief of Police Tom Casady, said: "Because I can't make this stuff up, yesterday morning after the bars closed, Officer Tyler Nitz arrested this man for drunk driving.
"The defendant was still dressed in his Halloween costume and he tested more than twice the legal limit.
"He was joined at the detox center by a French maid and a naughty border patrol agent."
SOURCE
Matthew Nieveen, 19, was arrested early on Monday morning for driving under the influence and being a minor in possession of alcohol, according to police.
Police in Lincoln pulled Nieveen over in his Ford F-150 after the partygoer was allegedly spotted driving erratically.
His blood alcohol level was more than twice the state's .08 limit.
Chief of Police Tom Casady, said: "Because I can't make this stuff up, yesterday morning after the bars closed, Officer Tyler Nitz arrested this man for drunk driving.
"The defendant was still dressed in his Halloween costume and he tested more than twice the legal limit.
"He was joined at the detox center by a French maid and a naughty border patrol agent."
SOURCE
Safe Teen Driving Promoted Through New Programs
Car crashes account for the No. 1 way teens die. Several driving programs in Broward aim to curb that statistic.
BY EILEEN SOLER
SPECIAL TO THE MIAMI HERALD
If the number of teenagers killed by disease were as epidemic as the number of teens who die in car crashes, millions would pledge to find a cure.
In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that motor vehicle crashes, the No. 1 cause of death for teenagers, account for one in three teenage deaths nationwide.
Last year in Florida, 153 teens were killed in car crashes. So far this year, the teen death toll is 116.
During the past three weeks in Broward and Miami-Dade, five teens -- three age 17 and two age 18 -- died in automobile wrecks.
``We need legislation, but while we wait for that to happen we have to teach defensive driving,'' said Michael Rouse, Toyota's vice president of philanthropy, at a recent Toyota Driving Expectations defensive driving weekend for teens.
About 300 licensed teens and 400 parents turned out for 12 free driving sessions in the parking lot of Outdoor World in Dania Beach.
Toyota put the teens behind the wheel on courses that required them to do wrong so they could learn how to make it right.
With professional drivers in the passenger seat, the teens weaved through a slalom, drove at high speeds then slammed on the brakes, and allowed themselves to be distracted by cellphones, water bottles and other things.
``The biggest issue is distracted driving. Kids think they are invincible, so they do many things when they should be just driving,'' said Karen Polan, the program manager.
Of 33,808 traffic fatalities last year, the U.S. Department of Transportation blamed 5,474 on distracted drivers and called the problem ``an epidemic.'' Cellphone use was blamed for 995 of the deaths.
While kids learned safe driving, parents learned about common teen driving mistakes and got tips on how to be role models, coaches and mentors for good driving habits.
``Our goal is one goal only. That is to save lives,'' Polan said.
On Tuesday, 400 teenagers met in the auditorium of West Broward High School in Pembroke Pines to mark National Teen Driving Safety Week. The assembly, sponsored by the Broward school district and Florida Highway Patrol, gave kids a chance to hear the facts behind teenage crashes and the heartache it leaves behind.
Kyle Dailey, curriculum specialist for Broward Schools Driver Education Program, said teens are inundated with information and warnings about safe driving: Billboards, television commercials, school assemblies and their parents provide constant reminders.
Broward Schools offers free driving classes to about 9,000 teens per year at the county's 15 public high schools. Registration for the next session begins Nov. 1.
``But some of you listen and some of you don't,'' Daily told the teens. ``We're hoping that you all hear us so when it comes to making a crucial decision, you make the right decision.''
The message hit home for some students when Arielle Konen, president of the school's Key Club, recalled the death by car crash last year of West Broward High senior Christina Chaiken, 17.
``It's a real problem that we all have to deal with, like it or not,'' Konen told the students.
Some listened with heads in their hands and tears in their eyes when Donna Uzzi of Coral Springs spoke. Uzzi's son, Anthony Almonte, 16, died Nov. 15, 2009, after homecoming night at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
Also killed in the crash were two of his classmates, Robert Nugent and Sean Maxey, both 16. One friend survived.
So far this year, teen deaths by car crash is showing a decline, but John Pisula of State Farm Insurance said much can happen before the year ends.
``Fall is the deadliest season for teen drivers and October is the worst month of all. Kids are back to school showing off their cars, we have homecoming and football games . . . guys soup up their cars, put the seat back and blast their stereo,'' Pisula said.
Pisula said he was struck personally by the tragic deaths of Kevin O'Connell and Ian Guckian, both 18, who were killed in an early-morning crash Oct. 5 in Miramar. Pisula is a friend of the parents of the boys, who were best friends.
Miramar police said the driver lost control of the speeding car, hit a tree, went airborne and slammed into a house. It was unclear who was driving.
Robert Schnell of Parkland, a retired Broward Sheriff's Office deputy and volunteer ambulance driver whose son, Michael Schnell, 17, attended the Toyota event, said a course in teen defensive driving should be mandatory. Michael's mother, Cindy Schnell, agreed.
``The more teenagers learn, the less chances they will take and the more careful they will be -- the less foolish they will be,'' Cindy Schnell said.
SOURCE
BY EILEEN SOLER
SPECIAL TO THE MIAMI HERALD
If the number of teenagers killed by disease were as epidemic as the number of teens who die in car crashes, millions would pledge to find a cure.
In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that motor vehicle crashes, the No. 1 cause of death for teenagers, account for one in three teenage deaths nationwide.
Last year in Florida, 153 teens were killed in car crashes. So far this year, the teen death toll is 116.
During the past three weeks in Broward and Miami-Dade, five teens -- three age 17 and two age 18 -- died in automobile wrecks.
``We need legislation, but while we wait for that to happen we have to teach defensive driving,'' said Michael Rouse, Toyota's vice president of philanthropy, at a recent Toyota Driving Expectations defensive driving weekend for teens.
About 300 licensed teens and 400 parents turned out for 12 free driving sessions in the parking lot of Outdoor World in Dania Beach.
Toyota put the teens behind the wheel on courses that required them to do wrong so they could learn how to make it right.
With professional drivers in the passenger seat, the teens weaved through a slalom, drove at high speeds then slammed on the brakes, and allowed themselves to be distracted by cellphones, water bottles and other things.
``The biggest issue is distracted driving. Kids think they are invincible, so they do many things when they should be just driving,'' said Karen Polan, the program manager.
Of 33,808 traffic fatalities last year, the U.S. Department of Transportation blamed 5,474 on distracted drivers and called the problem ``an epidemic.'' Cellphone use was blamed for 995 of the deaths.
While kids learned safe driving, parents learned about common teen driving mistakes and got tips on how to be role models, coaches and mentors for good driving habits.
``Our goal is one goal only. That is to save lives,'' Polan said.
On Tuesday, 400 teenagers met in the auditorium of West Broward High School in Pembroke Pines to mark National Teen Driving Safety Week. The assembly, sponsored by the Broward school district and Florida Highway Patrol, gave kids a chance to hear the facts behind teenage crashes and the heartache it leaves behind.
Kyle Dailey, curriculum specialist for Broward Schools Driver Education Program, said teens are inundated with information and warnings about safe driving: Billboards, television commercials, school assemblies and their parents provide constant reminders.
Broward Schools offers free driving classes to about 9,000 teens per year at the county's 15 public high schools. Registration for the next session begins Nov. 1.
``But some of you listen and some of you don't,'' Daily told the teens. ``We're hoping that you all hear us so when it comes to making a crucial decision, you make the right decision.''
The message hit home for some students when Arielle Konen, president of the school's Key Club, recalled the death by car crash last year of West Broward High senior Christina Chaiken, 17.
``It's a real problem that we all have to deal with, like it or not,'' Konen told the students.
Some listened with heads in their hands and tears in their eyes when Donna Uzzi of Coral Springs spoke. Uzzi's son, Anthony Almonte, 16, died Nov. 15, 2009, after homecoming night at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
Also killed in the crash were two of his classmates, Robert Nugent and Sean Maxey, both 16. One friend survived.
So far this year, teen deaths by car crash is showing a decline, but John Pisula of State Farm Insurance said much can happen before the year ends.
``Fall is the deadliest season for teen drivers and October is the worst month of all. Kids are back to school showing off their cars, we have homecoming and football games . . . guys soup up their cars, put the seat back and blast their stereo,'' Pisula said.
Pisula said he was struck personally by the tragic deaths of Kevin O'Connell and Ian Guckian, both 18, who were killed in an early-morning crash Oct. 5 in Miramar. Pisula is a friend of the parents of the boys, who were best friends.
Miramar police said the driver lost control of the speeding car, hit a tree, went airborne and slammed into a house. It was unclear who was driving.
Robert Schnell of Parkland, a retired Broward Sheriff's Office deputy and volunteer ambulance driver whose son, Michael Schnell, 17, attended the Toyota event, said a course in teen defensive driving should be mandatory. Michael's mother, Cindy Schnell, agreed.
``The more teenagers learn, the less chances they will take and the more careful they will be -- the less foolish they will be,'' Cindy Schnell said.
SOURCE
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Are mandatory drug test becoming the new standard for school employees?
THIBODAUX — Lafourche public-school employees may soon be required to take a drug test after any on-the-job injuries, if a plan headed to the Lafourche School Board on Wednesday is approved.
The change would lower costs and make the workplace safer, officials said.
By discouraging drug and alcohol use, the policy would make it mishaps less likely in the first place, said Lafourche schools Safety Manager Seth Holloway.
“It makes the place safer, not only for our employees but also for our staff and our kids,” Holloway said.
Fewer accidents means less money would be spent on worker’s compensation claims, Holloway said. And any mishaps involving drugs or alcohol will not cost anything beyond the drug test.
“If they do get injured and they are caught as far as drug and alcohol use, they can be terminated immediately,” he said. “So their worker’s comp claim won’t be paid.”
Worker’s compensation claims can easily cost tens of thousands of dollars, Holloway said. Drug testing would cost $5,000 to $10,000 per year, he said.
The effort is meant to increase overall safety.
“There’s no person or department where we’re saying they’re” working while using drugs or alcohol, he said. “But in any workforce there’s a percentage doing this.”
The change would include working closely with Thibodaux Regional’s medical network, including an online tracking system that keeps school officials up-to-date with the status of injured employees. The intent, Holloway said, is to “get them back to work faster.”
If the board agrees to enter the program, the Policy and Procedure Committee will be tasked with making necessary changes to the school system’s policy manual before drug testing begins.
SOURCE
The change would lower costs and make the workplace safer, officials said.
By discouraging drug and alcohol use, the policy would make it mishaps less likely in the first place, said Lafourche schools Safety Manager Seth Holloway.
“It makes the place safer, not only for our employees but also for our staff and our kids,” Holloway said.
Fewer accidents means less money would be spent on worker’s compensation claims, Holloway said. And any mishaps involving drugs or alcohol will not cost anything beyond the drug test.
“If they do get injured and they are caught as far as drug and alcohol use, they can be terminated immediately,” he said. “So their worker’s comp claim won’t be paid.”
Worker’s compensation claims can easily cost tens of thousands of dollars, Holloway said. Drug testing would cost $5,000 to $10,000 per year, he said.
The effort is meant to increase overall safety.
“There’s no person or department where we’re saying they’re” working while using drugs or alcohol, he said. “But in any workforce there’s a percentage doing this.”
The change would include working closely with Thibodaux Regional’s medical network, including an online tracking system that keeps school officials up-to-date with the status of injured employees. The intent, Holloway said, is to “get them back to work faster.”
If the board agrees to enter the program, the Policy and Procedure Committee will be tasked with making necessary changes to the school system’s policy manual before drug testing begins.
SOURCE
MADD seeks random breathalyzer test for Teen Drivers
If Mothers Against Drunk Driving CEO Andrew Murie has his way, drivers across Canada could be forced to take a breathalyzer test anywhere, anytime — whether police suspect drunk driving or not.
And Murie may get it.
“We had one of Canada’s leading constitutional lawyers look at the issue of random breath testing,” said Murie, who was on-hand Tuesday for MADD Canada’s annual launch of its Project Red Ribbon campaign in Toronto. “He said it would probably be challenged but it would be upheld because driving is a privilege and the benefits to society far outweigh the infringement (on drivers).”
Murie has some big backers in the random breath testing debate.
Federal Justice Minister Rob Nicholson has endorsed such a change in the law, echoing a June 2009 recommendation from the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights that Ottawa amend the criminal code to allow police across Canada to conduct random breath tests.
RBT would replace Canada’s current, 40-year-old way of doing things, where police can demand a breath test only if they have reason to suspect a driver is too drunk to drive.
Ottawa said it would talk to the provinces first, then consider the changes.
Murie sites countries that have RBT — Australia, France, Germany, New Zealand and Ireland are some — pointing out they have seen less and less carnage on their roadways.
“We’re way behind the rest of the democratic societies,” said Murie. “There’s a difference of about 20% in the decrease in deaths and injuries (between) the countries that have it and the countries that don’t.”
But RBT is a slippery slope for a “free and democratic country” such as Canada, said Nathalie Des Rosiers of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.
Increasing police power to that point, she said, would send the truth north strong and free toward becoming a police state.
“It’s about giving the power to the police to arrest someone anywhere, anytime and subject them to a criminal investigation where they have to comply, even though there is no reasonable grounds that they’ve done anything wrong,” said Des Rosier.
A big reason RBT won’t work, she said, is many of the hardcore drinkers will get behind the wheel, regardless of random testing.
There is also an overall lack of police spot checks, as well as not enough alternative transportation, such as taxis, Des Rosiers said.
Everyday people also need to be more proactive — if you see someone about to get behind the wheel, speak up, Des she said.
But Carolyn Swinson, past president of MADD’s Toronto chapter, may not agree.
Swinson looks at the issue from a personal perspective and like many current and former MADD staffers, she is driven by her own loss.
“I think about Rob every day,” said Swinson of her son, who was killed at the hands of a drunk driver 17 years ago.
Swinson, who still holds back tears when talking about it, says her son’s death set her to work toward a day when no parent has to go though what she did.
“You lose a child, and it is the most painful thing,” she said, “and you make a decision to take revenge or to do something, which is why I got involved with MADD.”
SOURCE
And Murie may get it.
“We had one of Canada’s leading constitutional lawyers look at the issue of random breath testing,” said Murie, who was on-hand Tuesday for MADD Canada’s annual launch of its Project Red Ribbon campaign in Toronto. “He said it would probably be challenged but it would be upheld because driving is a privilege and the benefits to society far outweigh the infringement (on drivers).”
Murie has some big backers in the random breath testing debate.
Federal Justice Minister Rob Nicholson has endorsed such a change in the law, echoing a June 2009 recommendation from the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights that Ottawa amend the criminal code to allow police across Canada to conduct random breath tests.
RBT would replace Canada’s current, 40-year-old way of doing things, where police can demand a breath test only if they have reason to suspect a driver is too drunk to drive.
Ottawa said it would talk to the provinces first, then consider the changes.
Murie sites countries that have RBT — Australia, France, Germany, New Zealand and Ireland are some — pointing out they have seen less and less carnage on their roadways.
“We’re way behind the rest of the democratic societies,” said Murie. “There’s a difference of about 20% in the decrease in deaths and injuries (between) the countries that have it and the countries that don’t.”
But RBT is a slippery slope for a “free and democratic country” such as Canada, said Nathalie Des Rosiers of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.
Increasing police power to that point, she said, would send the truth north strong and free toward becoming a police state.
“It’s about giving the power to the police to arrest someone anywhere, anytime and subject them to a criminal investigation where they have to comply, even though there is no reasonable grounds that they’ve done anything wrong,” said Des Rosier.
A big reason RBT won’t work, she said, is many of the hardcore drinkers will get behind the wheel, regardless of random testing.
There is also an overall lack of police spot checks, as well as not enough alternative transportation, such as taxis, Des Rosiers said.
Everyday people also need to be more proactive — if you see someone about to get behind the wheel, speak up, Des she said.
But Carolyn Swinson, past president of MADD’s Toronto chapter, may not agree.
Swinson looks at the issue from a personal perspective and like many current and former MADD staffers, she is driven by her own loss.
“I think about Rob every day,” said Swinson of her son, who was killed at the hands of a drunk driver 17 years ago.
Swinson, who still holds back tears when talking about it, says her son’s death set her to work toward a day when no parent has to go though what she did.
“You lose a child, and it is the most painful thing,” she said, “and you make a decision to take revenge or to do something, which is why I got involved with MADD.”
SOURCE
Even a Judge can face DWI Charges
HAMILTON COUNTY, Ind. (WISH) - Hamilton Superior Court Judge William Hughes will have to face a North Carolina judge after getting behind the wheel drunk. Court documents in Currituck County North Carolina say Hughes blew a .13.
That's nearly two times the legal limit, which is .08 under North Carolina laws, the drunk driving charge is a misdemeanor. Hughes, 55, was also charged with driving left of center, which is a traffic violation.
24-Hour News 8 spoke with the Assistant Clerk of Courts, Debbie Basnight, in Currituck County. She says court documents show Hughes traveled left of center twice. He's also accused of turning on his turn signal a half of mile before the turn.
Basnight said according to a citation report, "The officer says he noticed a light odor of alcohol upon (Hughes') breath. The defendant was polite and cooperative."
Monday, Hughes released a report to the media stating he was arrested on drunk driving charges October 27. The longtime judge said he was vacationing in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
Turns out, Hughes did not spend anytime behind bars. He signed an unsecured bond according to Basnight . Hughes, who is handling the Carmel High School basketball hazing cases and former money manager Marcus Schrenker’s divorce says he notified Judicial Qualifications Committee for review.
He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Jan. 24, 2011.
SOURCE
That's nearly two times the legal limit, which is .08 under North Carolina laws, the drunk driving charge is a misdemeanor. Hughes, 55, was also charged with driving left of center, which is a traffic violation.
24-Hour News 8 spoke with the Assistant Clerk of Courts, Debbie Basnight, in Currituck County. She says court documents show Hughes traveled left of center twice. He's also accused of turning on his turn signal a half of mile before the turn.
Basnight said according to a citation report, "The officer says he noticed a light odor of alcohol upon (Hughes') breath. The defendant was polite and cooperative."
Monday, Hughes released a report to the media stating he was arrested on drunk driving charges October 27. The longtime judge said he was vacationing in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
Turns out, Hughes did not spend anytime behind bars. He signed an unsecured bond according to Basnight . Hughes, who is handling the Carmel High School basketball hazing cases and former money manager Marcus Schrenker’s divorce says he notified Judicial Qualifications Committee for review.
He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Jan. 24, 2011.
SOURCE
Monday, October 25, 2010
Beefed up Patrols for Halloween
Halloween is a time of year for more than one kind of spirits.
There’s more drinking and thus more drunken driving in what’s become a costumed, hearty party season, according to state traffic experts. “It’s one of our busiest times of the year,” said State Police Inspector Gene Adamczyk of the Lansing office.
So police in Michigan will step up drunk driving patrols this week and Sunday, Halloween, Adamczyk said. That includes county and local police departments. Federal money will pay for extra overtime for road patrols, said Ann Readett, spokesperson for the Michigan Office of Highway and Safety Planning.
Also, a new drunk driving law takes effect Sunday with stiffer penalties for first-time convictions of driving with blood alcohol contents of 0.17 grams or higher. Driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 is considered drunk driving. Those convicted of driving with high levels of blood alcohol would have their license suspended automatically. They also could face 180 days in jail, bigger fines, six points on their driving record and mandatory alcohol treatment.
A restricted license could be granted after 45 days if a driver agrees to install a breath alcohol ignition device on the vehicle they drive. The driver must blow into the device, as with a Breathalylzer, to start the vehicle. The car won’t start if the blood alcohol level registers .025 or higher. Currently, ignition interlock devices are used only for repeat drunk drivers. The driver must blow into the device periodically while driving as well. If it measures alcohol, the car’s horn will sound and its lights will flash until it’s turned off. Then, the driver must contact a probation officer to restart the vehicle – and deal with the consequences.
The convicted driver must pay the installation and daily cost of the ignition interlock device. The installation cost could be waived for low-income drivers. “It will make Michigan roads safer and it will help people get the help they need,” said Rep. Marc Corriveau, D-Northville. He is co-sponsor of the legislation along with Rep. Bob Constan, D-Dearborn Heights.
Michigan has 45,000 drunk driving arrests a year. Of those, nearly 15,000 involve a driver with a blood alcohol level of 0.17 or higher, according to the Office of Highway Safety Planning.
Article Source
There’s more drinking and thus more drunken driving in what’s become a costumed, hearty party season, according to state traffic experts. “It’s one of our busiest times of the year,” said State Police Inspector Gene Adamczyk of the Lansing office.
So police in Michigan will step up drunk driving patrols this week and Sunday, Halloween, Adamczyk said. That includes county and local police departments. Federal money will pay for extra overtime for road patrols, said Ann Readett, spokesperson for the Michigan Office of Highway and Safety Planning.
Also, a new drunk driving law takes effect Sunday with stiffer penalties for first-time convictions of driving with blood alcohol contents of 0.17 grams or higher. Driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 is considered drunk driving. Those convicted of driving with high levels of blood alcohol would have their license suspended automatically. They also could face 180 days in jail, bigger fines, six points on their driving record and mandatory alcohol treatment.
A restricted license could be granted after 45 days if a driver agrees to install a breath alcohol ignition device on the vehicle they drive. The driver must blow into the device, as with a Breathalylzer, to start the vehicle. The car won’t start if the blood alcohol level registers .025 or higher. Currently, ignition interlock devices are used only for repeat drunk drivers. The driver must blow into the device periodically while driving as well. If it measures alcohol, the car’s horn will sound and its lights will flash until it’s turned off. Then, the driver must contact a probation officer to restart the vehicle – and deal with the consequences.
The convicted driver must pay the installation and daily cost of the ignition interlock device. The installation cost could be waived for low-income drivers. “It will make Michigan roads safer and it will help people get the help they need,” said Rep. Marc Corriveau, D-Northville. He is co-sponsor of the legislation along with Rep. Bob Constan, D-Dearborn Heights.
Michigan has 45,000 drunk driving arrests a year. Of those, nearly 15,000 involve a driver with a blood alcohol level of 0.17 or higher, according to the Office of Highway Safety Planning.
Article Source
Bars and Restaurants get hit hard because of Tougher Dunk Driving Laws
Business down ‘dramatically’as drivers fear going over limit
By KIM PEMBERTON, Vancouver Sun
Bar patrons are drinking less, or not at all.
Drinking establishments are reporting business is down “dramatically” — anywhere from 10 to 40 per cent since British Columbia’s tougher anti-drinking laws went into effect last week.
The general feeling is “people are being very cautious,” fearing if they go over the .05 per cent blood alcohol level they risk having their car impounded, said Ian Tostenson, president of the B.C. Restaurant and Food Association.
“People are scared. They don’t know what it takes for them to reach .05, so while they might go out they won’t drink or certainly not as much. It’s impacting restaurants in terms of sales,” said Tostenson, adding that how much revenue is down as a result of the new law won’t be known for another month.
To try to deal with a drop in business, some pubs and restaurants are either offering a shuttle service or considering it.
Woody’s on Brunette Pub in Coquitlam is considering a pilot project to provide a shuttle service after seeing business drop 10 per cent in the first week, said owner Gordon Cartwright.
“It’s definitely impacted our business. We’ve noticed a slowdown in our day business and after work business [as a result of the new anti-drinking laws],” he said.
“The public is just trying to figure out how much they can drink without worrying about it — knowing their limits.”
At Fox’s Reach Pub and Grill, owner Todd Arbuthnot said he plans to buy two vans for his pubs in Ladner and Maple Ridge to drive people home after they have been drinking.
“It’s especially needed in Maple Ridge because there isn’t much housing there so we don’t get walk-in traffic. People are having to drive 15 to 20 minutes home. It’s frustrating because no one knows where they stand. It seems everyone knows a friend who had their licence suspended after two beers,” he said.
Arbuthnot said he noticed a “dramatic” drop in alcohol consumption of about 30 per cent a day since the new law took effect.
“People aren’t ordering [alcohol] any more. They won’t take the chance because in Maple Ridge everyone needs to be able to drive to work or to get their kids to school.”
Attorney-General Mike de Jong said the threshold of .05 has been in place for more than three decades — it’s the penalties that have changed.
New penalties start with a three-day driving ban and $200 fine for anyone caught with a blood alcohol concentration of more than .05 — up from the previous 24-hour suspension.
Those who blow more than .08 face a 90-day driving ban, a $500 fine and mandatory installation of an ignition interlock device — regardless of criminal charges that may be laid.
Repeat offenders can expect heavier fines and longer suspensions.
“Two weeks ago, if you drove a car after drinking and had an alcohol level over .05, you could be issued a temporary suspension. What’s new is the seriousness of the penalty, no doubt about it,” said de Jong.
The attorney-general added that “it’s clear that people are talking about this. The potential loss of your vehicle and loss of your licence has registered with the public — and that is what was intended. Too many people have been getting behind the wheel of a car after consuming too much alcohol.”
In Port Moody at the Golden Spike Pub, managerial partner Cheryl Semenuik said she especially noticed the decline on week nights when sports teams stopped coming in for a drink after their games and the after work crowd stopped coming as well.
“It’s been rough across the board in the industry. We’ve seen our liquor consumption down 30 to 40 per cent,” she said.
“It’s a big cut. People are scared. Everyone has a story. We heard of one neighbourhood pub where 22 people were arrested on a weekend right after closing. A guy in our sports pool said his secretary had one glass of wine with a salad at lunch and she got pulled over after doing a U-turn. They made her blow and she lost her car [for a three-day impoundment].”
She said at her pub she’s noticed the parking lot is now two-thirds full first thing in the morning because patrons are opting to go home by taxi and pick up their vehicles later.
And while the Golden Spike Pub always offers a shuttle service on New Year’s Eve, they too are considering purchasing a full-time shuttle van to try to encourage patrons to start drinking more again.
At the St. James’s Well in Port Moody, general manager Mike Read said while he hasn’t noticed a dramatic drop in business, because most of their regular patrons live within walking distance, he has a 20 per cent drop in “people just popping in for one or two after work.”
“I might have had one beer after work myself but even I won’t do that any more because I don’t know where I sit in terms of 0.5 per cent,” he said.
Read said while he appreciates the new law makes people think more about how much alcohol they’ve consumed before driving, he called it “a little draconian.”
“It’s almost saying zero tolerance,” he said. “There’s a perception that there’s a certain percentage of people who will be over 0.5 per cent with a single drink.”
Shark Club, in downtown Vancouver, hasn’t seen a decrease in business because their patrons are generally coming in after a game downtown.
Assistant general manager Christine Cairns said they’ve already made arrangements to get home safely after driving or taking the SkyTrain, which is nearby their restaurant.
“There’s a lot of buzz in the industry and it’s something to be aware of that one drink could put you over the limit if you’re not eating. “We’re a full service restaurant so the majority of people are having a good meal,” she said.
Her concern is the province has to continue SkyTrain service after 1 a.m. considering most places serving liquor in downtown Vancouver stay open until 2 a.m. and on Granville until 3 a.m.
Source
Small Business Owners Protect your business and make more money today. Learn how with Alco-Buddy: www.alcobuddy.com
By KIM PEMBERTON, Vancouver Sun
Bar patrons are drinking less, or not at all.
Drinking establishments are reporting business is down “dramatically” — anywhere from 10 to 40 per cent since British Columbia’s tougher anti-drinking laws went into effect last week.
The general feeling is “people are being very cautious,” fearing if they go over the .05 per cent blood alcohol level they risk having their car impounded, said Ian Tostenson, president of the B.C. Restaurant and Food Association.
“People are scared. They don’t know what it takes for them to reach .05, so while they might go out they won’t drink or certainly not as much. It’s impacting restaurants in terms of sales,” said Tostenson, adding that how much revenue is down as a result of the new law won’t be known for another month.
To try to deal with a drop in business, some pubs and restaurants are either offering a shuttle service or considering it.
Woody’s on Brunette Pub in Coquitlam is considering a pilot project to provide a shuttle service after seeing business drop 10 per cent in the first week, said owner Gordon Cartwright.
“It’s definitely impacted our business. We’ve noticed a slowdown in our day business and after work business [as a result of the new anti-drinking laws],” he said.
“The public is just trying to figure out how much they can drink without worrying about it — knowing their limits.”
At Fox’s Reach Pub and Grill, owner Todd Arbuthnot said he plans to buy two vans for his pubs in Ladner and Maple Ridge to drive people home after they have been drinking.
“It’s especially needed in Maple Ridge because there isn’t much housing there so we don’t get walk-in traffic. People are having to drive 15 to 20 minutes home. It’s frustrating because no one knows where they stand. It seems everyone knows a friend who had their licence suspended after two beers,” he said.
Arbuthnot said he noticed a “dramatic” drop in alcohol consumption of about 30 per cent a day since the new law took effect.
“People aren’t ordering [alcohol] any more. They won’t take the chance because in Maple Ridge everyone needs to be able to drive to work or to get their kids to school.”
Attorney-General Mike de Jong said the threshold of .05 has been in place for more than three decades — it’s the penalties that have changed.
New penalties start with a three-day driving ban and $200 fine for anyone caught with a blood alcohol concentration of more than .05 — up from the previous 24-hour suspension.
Those who blow more than .08 face a 90-day driving ban, a $500 fine and mandatory installation of an ignition interlock device — regardless of criminal charges that may be laid.
Repeat offenders can expect heavier fines and longer suspensions.
“Two weeks ago, if you drove a car after drinking and had an alcohol level over .05, you could be issued a temporary suspension. What’s new is the seriousness of the penalty, no doubt about it,” said de Jong.
The attorney-general added that “it’s clear that people are talking about this. The potential loss of your vehicle and loss of your licence has registered with the public — and that is what was intended. Too many people have been getting behind the wheel of a car after consuming too much alcohol.”
In Port Moody at the Golden Spike Pub, managerial partner Cheryl Semenuik said she especially noticed the decline on week nights when sports teams stopped coming in for a drink after their games and the after work crowd stopped coming as well.
“It’s been rough across the board in the industry. We’ve seen our liquor consumption down 30 to 40 per cent,” she said.
“It’s a big cut. People are scared. Everyone has a story. We heard of one neighbourhood pub where 22 people were arrested on a weekend right after closing. A guy in our sports pool said his secretary had one glass of wine with a salad at lunch and she got pulled over after doing a U-turn. They made her blow and she lost her car [for a three-day impoundment].”
She said at her pub she’s noticed the parking lot is now two-thirds full first thing in the morning because patrons are opting to go home by taxi and pick up their vehicles later.
And while the Golden Spike Pub always offers a shuttle service on New Year’s Eve, they too are considering purchasing a full-time shuttle van to try to encourage patrons to start drinking more again.
At the St. James’s Well in Port Moody, general manager Mike Read said while he hasn’t noticed a dramatic drop in business, because most of their regular patrons live within walking distance, he has a 20 per cent drop in “people just popping in for one or two after work.”
“I might have had one beer after work myself but even I won’t do that any more because I don’t know where I sit in terms of 0.5 per cent,” he said.
Read said while he appreciates the new law makes people think more about how much alcohol they’ve consumed before driving, he called it “a little draconian.”
“It’s almost saying zero tolerance,” he said. “There’s a perception that there’s a certain percentage of people who will be over 0.5 per cent with a single drink.”
Shark Club, in downtown Vancouver, hasn’t seen a decrease in business because their patrons are generally coming in after a game downtown.
Assistant general manager Christine Cairns said they’ve already made arrangements to get home safely after driving or taking the SkyTrain, which is nearby their restaurant.
“There’s a lot of buzz in the industry and it’s something to be aware of that one drink could put you over the limit if you’re not eating. “We’re a full service restaurant so the majority of people are having a good meal,” she said.
Her concern is the province has to continue SkyTrain service after 1 a.m. considering most places serving liquor in downtown Vancouver stay open until 2 a.m. and on Granville until 3 a.m.
Source
Small Business Owners Protect your business and make more money today. Learn how with Alco-Buddy: www.alcobuddy.com
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Man Penalized for Driving while Drunk
A 29-year-old Honolulu man began serving an 18-month prison term this morning for the negligent homicide death of Outrigger Hotels and Resorts manager Ray Kanemori in January.
When he gets out of prison, Elwyn Keomaka, II will be on probation for five years and must also perform 500 hours of community service, at least some of that time with Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
"We will be taking full advantage of this opportunity to fashion a powerful message for others," said Jennifer Dotson, executive director of MADD Hawaii.
Dotson said this is the first time a state judge has sentenced a defendant to perform community service specifically with MADD.
Circuit Judge Edwin Nacino sentenced Keomaka to the probation, prison time and community service this morning after the prosecutor recommended 10 years in prison and Keomaka's lawyer asked for probation. Nacino also revoked Keomaka's drivers license for five years.
Keomaka was driving drunk the wrong way on a one-way street in Waikiki Jan. 18 when his car struck and killed Kanemori. The long-time Outrigger manager had just gotten off work and had entered the street from between two parked cars.
The state said Keomaka was traveling 29 mph in a 25 mph zone and his blood-alcohol content was 0.12 two hours later.
State law prohibits anyone with a BAC of 0.08 or higher from operating a vehicle.
Keomaka pleaded no contest to first-degree negligent homicide in August.
His lawyer Howard Luke said Keomaka has not driven or consumed alcohol since Kanemori's death. And he said it was Keomaka who suggested the community service with MADD.
Source | Alco-Buddy Solution
When he gets out of prison, Elwyn Keomaka, II will be on probation for five years and must also perform 500 hours of community service, at least some of that time with Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
"We will be taking full advantage of this opportunity to fashion a powerful message for others," said Jennifer Dotson, executive director of MADD Hawaii.
Dotson said this is the first time a state judge has sentenced a defendant to perform community service specifically with MADD.
Circuit Judge Edwin Nacino sentenced Keomaka to the probation, prison time and community service this morning after the prosecutor recommended 10 years in prison and Keomaka's lawyer asked for probation. Nacino also revoked Keomaka's drivers license for five years.
Keomaka was driving drunk the wrong way on a one-way street in Waikiki Jan. 18 when his car struck and killed Kanemori. The long-time Outrigger manager had just gotten off work and had entered the street from between two parked cars.
The state said Keomaka was traveling 29 mph in a 25 mph zone and his blood-alcohol content was 0.12 two hours later.
State law prohibits anyone with a BAC of 0.08 or higher from operating a vehicle.
Keomaka pleaded no contest to first-degree negligent homicide in August.
His lawyer Howard Luke said Keomaka has not driven or consumed alcohol since Kanemori's death. And he said it was Keomaka who suggested the community service with MADD.
Source | Alco-Buddy Solution
Parents are the key to safe driving for teens
ROSEVILLE - We're in the middle of National Teen Driver Safety Week, and this year's theme is "Reducing Driving Distractions."
It's a cause that is near and dear to News10's Great Hang Up campaign. That's why we had a booth at Impact Teen Drivers' Teen/Parent Driving Safety Fair.
At Roseville's All American Speedway, California Highway Patrol Commissioner Joe Farrow told the teenage crowd, "If you die premature in this world before your time, the chances are it'll be because of an automobile collision... and remember that. That's the most important thing you'll learn here today."
The big man on top at the CHP told us it's especially important to send the message to young drivers today.
"This is the generation that grew up on cell phones and grew up on texting," Farrow said. "It's what they do, and what we're trying to illustrate to them is you can't mix that with driving because your attention needs to be fully committed to driving. There are so many things going on simultaneously."
Many teens told us texting and talking on the cell phone is a way of life.
15-year-old Mikayla George said, "24-7, I probably text thousands of times a day."
The habit is one of a few distractions that kills thousands of young people every year behind the wheel. Farrow said he and his officers hate to be the bearer of horrible news by telling a parent his or her child is another victim.
"It's the most difficult thing we do, and I know it impacts all of our officers deeply when they have to do that," said the commissioner.
Farrow told us events like these are a great supplemental tool, learning defensive driving, making a promise like News10's Great Hang Up pledge, but the message must start and continue in the home.
Teen driver Alayjah Brown agreed, "We get lectures all the time. We'll be watching a movie, and she'll be just whispering in our ear, 'You don't want that to happen to you, make sure you're safe.'"
Alayjah's mother, Akeeya Johnson said those "lectures" would maybe one day save her children's lives.
"I just hope I'm doing what I can as a parent to protect her and keep her safe," said Johnson.
Farrow said Johnson is doing exactly what she should.
"We know what the cause is. We know what the antidote is, and the antidote is the parents. It's all about learning and all about teaching."
Source
It's a cause that is near and dear to News10's Great Hang Up campaign. That's why we had a booth at Impact Teen Drivers' Teen/Parent Driving Safety Fair.
At Roseville's All American Speedway, California Highway Patrol Commissioner Joe Farrow told the teenage crowd, "If you die premature in this world before your time, the chances are it'll be because of an automobile collision... and remember that. That's the most important thing you'll learn here today."
The big man on top at the CHP told us it's especially important to send the message to young drivers today.
"This is the generation that grew up on cell phones and grew up on texting," Farrow said. "It's what they do, and what we're trying to illustrate to them is you can't mix that with driving because your attention needs to be fully committed to driving. There are so many things going on simultaneously."
Many teens told us texting and talking on the cell phone is a way of life.
15-year-old Mikayla George said, "24-7, I probably text thousands of times a day."
The habit is one of a few distractions that kills thousands of young people every year behind the wheel. Farrow said he and his officers hate to be the bearer of horrible news by telling a parent his or her child is another victim.
"It's the most difficult thing we do, and I know it impacts all of our officers deeply when they have to do that," said the commissioner.
Farrow told us events like these are a great supplemental tool, learning defensive driving, making a promise like News10's Great Hang Up pledge, but the message must start and continue in the home.
Teen driver Alayjah Brown agreed, "We get lectures all the time. We'll be watching a movie, and she'll be just whispering in our ear, 'You don't want that to happen to you, make sure you're safe.'"
Alayjah's mother, Akeeya Johnson said those "lectures" would maybe one day save her children's lives.
"I just hope I'm doing what I can as a parent to protect her and keep her safe," said Johnson.
Farrow said Johnson is doing exactly what she should.
"We know what the cause is. We know what the antidote is, and the antidote is the parents. It's all about learning and all about teaching."
Source
Organization Promotes Safe Driving for Teens
By Don Riley/Network Indiana
10/19/2010
It's National Teen Driver Safety week, an opportunity to raise awareness about the dangers of distracted driving among young drivers.
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among teens. Driver distractions are a contributing factor, including cell phone usage, passengers in the vehicle, eating while driving and loud music.
Indiana Criminal Justice Institute executive director Neil Moore says they've partnered with several organizations to promote safe teen driving habits statewide. He says the institute tracks volumes of crash data on Hoosier teens.
ICJI is paying close attention to how the graduated drivers licensing law is affecting teen driver safety.
The law, aimed at drivers under the age of 18, went into effect in July 2009 with additional restrictions added a year later.
In a couple of years, Moore hopes the data begins to show that limiting driver distractions and increasing the age to obtain a drivers permit reduces vehicle crashes among Indiana's teen drivers.
Source
10/19/2010
It's National Teen Driver Safety week, an opportunity to raise awareness about the dangers of distracted driving among young drivers.
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among teens. Driver distractions are a contributing factor, including cell phone usage, passengers in the vehicle, eating while driving and loud music.
Indiana Criminal Justice Institute executive director Neil Moore says they've partnered with several organizations to promote safe teen driving habits statewide. He says the institute tracks volumes of crash data on Hoosier teens.
ICJI is paying close attention to how the graduated drivers licensing law is affecting teen driver safety.
The law, aimed at drivers under the age of 18, went into effect in July 2009 with additional restrictions added a year later.
In a couple of years, Moore hopes the data begins to show that limiting driver distractions and increasing the age to obtain a drivers permit reduces vehicle crashes among Indiana's teen drivers.
Source
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Starting your very own small business with Alco-Buddy
We all can agree that the economy is in a real tough state and jobs are very scarce. What better way to get rid of the dependence of an employer and start your very own business. Alco-Buddy gives everyone the opportunity to start thier own business by putting the Alco-Buddy Breathalyzer Vending Machine product in establishments in the community of choice. Not only will you the business owner make money off the Alco-Buddy product but also you will be promoting awareness and setting the tone in the establishment showing that the owners care about thier customers.
Alco-buddy has many package deals that will help new and existing business owners to get started. Alco-buddy machines can be purchased as single units or in large quantities. By purchasing an Alco-Buddy Breathalyzer Machine(s) you are also supporting safe and responsible drinking. The Alco-Buddy business is committed to helping you become successful and how to start up your very own growing business. Alco-Buddy can help you choose the best target businesses in your area and show you the does and what nots of the business.
For more information on Alco-Buddy and how to start your business today, visit our website. We look forward to working with you. www.alcobuddy.com
Alco-buddy has many package deals that will help new and existing business owners to get started. Alco-buddy machines can be purchased as single units or in large quantities. By purchasing an Alco-Buddy Breathalyzer Machine(s) you are also supporting safe and responsible drinking. The Alco-Buddy business is committed to helping you become successful and how to start up your very own growing business. Alco-Buddy can help you choose the best target businesses in your area and show you the does and what nots of the business.
For more information on Alco-Buddy and how to start your business today, visit our website. We look forward to working with you. www.alcobuddy.com
Abolish Drunk Driving Laws
If lawmakers are serious about saving lives, they should focus on impairment, not alcohol.
Radley Balko | October 11, 2010
Last week Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo advocated creating a new criminal offense: "driving while ability impaired." The problem with the current Texas law prohibiting "driving while intoxicated" (DWI), Acevedo explained, is that it doesn't allow him to arrest a driver whose blood-alcohol content (BAC) is below 0.08 percent without additional evidence of impairment.
"People sometimes focus on how many drinks they can have before they'll go to jail," Acevedo told the Austin-American Statesman. "It varies….A person may be intoxicated at 0.05, and you don't want them out driving." Acevedo wants to be able to arrest people with BAC levels as low as 0.05 percent, and he may have support for that idea in the state legislature. John Whitmire (D-Houston), chairman of the state Senate's Criminal Justice Committee, told the Statesman Acevedo's plan "might be one way to go," adding, "Some people shouldn't be driving after one drink—probably below the 0.08 limit—and this could address that."
Bill Lewis, head of the Texas chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, agreed. "I don't see how it would hurt," he told the paper. "The level of 0.08 is where we know most people are good and drunk...and there are people who are driving at less than the limit who probably should not be. It might keep some people from driving [drunk] again."
Acevedo, Whitmore, and Lewis are right, although probably not in the way they intended. People do react to alcohol differently. For many people one drink may well be too many, while experienced drinkers can function relatively normally with a BAC at or above the legal threshold for presuming intoxication. A person's impairment may also depend on variables such as the medications he is taking and the amount of sleep he got the night before. Acevedo et al.'s objections to the legal definition of intoxication highlight the absurdity of drawing an arbitrary, breathalyzer-based line between sobriety and criminal intoxication.
The right solution, however, is not to push the artificial line back farther. Instead we should get rid of it entirely by repealing drunk driving laws.
Consider the 2000 federal law that pressured states to lower their BAC standards to 0.08 from 0.10. At the time, the average BAC in alcohol-related fatal accidents was 0.17, and two-thirds of such accidents involved drivers with BACs of 0.14 or higher. In fact, drivers with BACs between 0.01 and 0.03 were involved in more fatal accidents than drivers with BACs between 0.08 and 0.10. (The federal government classifies a fatal accident as "alcohol-related" if it involved a driver, a biker, or a pedestrian with a BAC of 0.01 or more, whether or not drinking actually contributed to the accident.) In 1995 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration studied traffic data in 30 safety categories from the first five states to adopt the new DWI standard. In 21 of the 30 categories, those states were either no different from or less safe than the rest of the country.
Once the 0.08 standard took effect nationwide in 2000, a curious thing happened: Alcohol-related traffic fatalities increased, following a 20-year decline. Critics of the 0.08 standard predicted this would happen. The problem is that most people with a BAC between 0.08 and 0.10 don't drive erratically enough to be noticed by police officers in patrol cars. So police began setting up roadblocks to catch them. But every cop manning a roadblock aimed at catching motorists violating the new law is a cop not on the highways looking for more seriously impaired motorists. By 2004 alcohol-related fatalities went down again, but only because the decrease in states that don't use roadblocks compensated for a slight but continuing increase in the states that use them.
Read Full Article Here
Radley Balko | October 11, 2010
Last week Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo advocated creating a new criminal offense: "driving while ability impaired." The problem with the current Texas law prohibiting "driving while intoxicated" (DWI), Acevedo explained, is that it doesn't allow him to arrest a driver whose blood-alcohol content (BAC) is below 0.08 percent without additional evidence of impairment.
"People sometimes focus on how many drinks they can have before they'll go to jail," Acevedo told the Austin-American Statesman. "It varies….A person may be intoxicated at 0.05, and you don't want them out driving." Acevedo wants to be able to arrest people with BAC levels as low as 0.05 percent, and he may have support for that idea in the state legislature. John Whitmire (D-Houston), chairman of the state Senate's Criminal Justice Committee, told the Statesman Acevedo's plan "might be one way to go," adding, "Some people shouldn't be driving after one drink—probably below the 0.08 limit—and this could address that."
Bill Lewis, head of the Texas chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, agreed. "I don't see how it would hurt," he told the paper. "The level of 0.08 is where we know most people are good and drunk...and there are people who are driving at less than the limit who probably should not be. It might keep some people from driving [drunk] again."
Acevedo, Whitmore, and Lewis are right, although probably not in the way they intended. People do react to alcohol differently. For many people one drink may well be too many, while experienced drinkers can function relatively normally with a BAC at or above the legal threshold for presuming intoxication. A person's impairment may also depend on variables such as the medications he is taking and the amount of sleep he got the night before. Acevedo et al.'s objections to the legal definition of intoxication highlight the absurdity of drawing an arbitrary, breathalyzer-based line between sobriety and criminal intoxication.
The right solution, however, is not to push the artificial line back farther. Instead we should get rid of it entirely by repealing drunk driving laws.
Consider the 2000 federal law that pressured states to lower their BAC standards to 0.08 from 0.10. At the time, the average BAC in alcohol-related fatal accidents was 0.17, and two-thirds of such accidents involved drivers with BACs of 0.14 or higher. In fact, drivers with BACs between 0.01 and 0.03 were involved in more fatal accidents than drivers with BACs between 0.08 and 0.10. (The federal government classifies a fatal accident as "alcohol-related" if it involved a driver, a biker, or a pedestrian with a BAC of 0.01 or more, whether or not drinking actually contributed to the accident.) In 1995 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration studied traffic data in 30 safety categories from the first five states to adopt the new DWI standard. In 21 of the 30 categories, those states were either no different from or less safe than the rest of the country.
Once the 0.08 standard took effect nationwide in 2000, a curious thing happened: Alcohol-related traffic fatalities increased, following a 20-year decline. Critics of the 0.08 standard predicted this would happen. The problem is that most people with a BAC between 0.08 and 0.10 don't drive erratically enough to be noticed by police officers in patrol cars. So police began setting up roadblocks to catch them. But every cop manning a roadblock aimed at catching motorists violating the new law is a cop not on the highways looking for more seriously impaired motorists. By 2004 alcohol-related fatalities went down again, but only because the decrease in states that don't use roadblocks compensated for a slight but continuing increase in the states that use them.
Read Full Article Here
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Save And The Allstate Foundation Sponsor Teen Safe Driving Activities
The Allstate Foundation presented a $10,000 grant to Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE) to assist SAVE chapters in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin in their efforts to increase youth safety and promote teen safe driving. This grant from the Allstate Foundation will support the SAVE program in schools and community agencies. Teen safe driving awareness campaigns will be conducted during key times of the year including back-to-school, holidays, Teen Safe Driving Month (May), prom, and graduation.
The North Chicago High School SAVE Chapter will participate in violence prevention and back-to-school rallies. The chapter will raise awareness by posting school safety and teen driving posters throughout the school and community. They are preparing classroom training sessions on how to avoid gangs and organizing a membership drive at middle and high schools. Students are planning and developing activities for National Youth Violence Prevention Week in March 2011. Students will participate in Daisy's Development and Resource Center's Telethon in October and conduct Teen Safe Driving activities with their local Allstate Agent and the County Coroner before prom in May 2011.
With support from Allstate agents and employee volunteers, SAVE chapters will be able to provide leadership in their schools and communities to ensure that all students will be encouraged and empowered with healthy life skills while engaging in educational activities and opportunities to promote teen safe driving and youth safety.
SAVE is a peer-to-peer organization that focuses on the power of positive peer influences. According to a recent Allstate Foundation survey, Shifting Teen Attitudes: The State of Teen Driving 2009, peers are a major influence on teens – both positive and negative. Some of the concerning statistics that SAVE chapters will address include:
• Eighty-two percent of teens reported using cell phones while driving.
• Nearly half (48 percent) of girls admit they are likely to speed more than 10 mph over the limit, versus 36 percent of boys.
• Seventy-seven percent of teens admit they have felt unsafe with another teen's driving.
“This generous grant from The Allstate Foundation will assist students in finding real solutions to the issues of teen safe driving that they face each day,” stated SAVE’s executive director, Carleen Wray.
Previous assistance from The Allstate Foundation has benefited SAVE schools in North Carolina, South Carolina, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, Nevada, Michigan, Minnesota, Texas, Oklahoma, Utah, Wisconsin, California, Colorado, and Ohio.
“By empowering teens to become smart driving activists in their schools and communities, we hope to reverse the staggering statistics,” said Bill McGrath, Regional Sales Leader for Allstate’s Midwest Region of Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin. “Through programs like SAVE, we seek to develop innovative, teen-informed approaches to raise awareness of the issue and ultimately, to help save lives and reduce injuries.”
About the National Association of Students Against Violence Everywhere: SAVE started at West Charlotte High School in Charlotte, N.C. in 1989 following the tragic death of a student who was trying to break up a fight at an off-campus party. Students met first to console each other, then as an organization to promote violence prevention and to work together to prevent future incidents from occurring. SAVE provides education about the effects and consequences of violence and helps provide safe activities for students, parents and communities. For more information on SAVE or starting a SAVE chapter, visit www.nationalsave.org, or contact SAVE at (866) 343-SAVE to receive free start-up materials and guidance.
About The Allstate Foundation:
Established in 1952, The Allstate Foundation is an independent, charitable organization made possible by subsidiaries of The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL). Allstate and The Allstate Foundation sponsor community initiatives to promote safe and vital communities; tolerance, inclusion, and diversity; and economic empowerment. The Allstate Foundation believes in the financial potential of every individual and in helping America's families achieve their American dream.
# # #
Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE), Inc. is a nonprofit organization striving to decrease violence in our schools and communities by promoting student involvement, education and service opportunities to provide safer environments for learning.
Source
The North Chicago High School SAVE Chapter will participate in violence prevention and back-to-school rallies. The chapter will raise awareness by posting school safety and teen driving posters throughout the school and community. They are preparing classroom training sessions on how to avoid gangs and organizing a membership drive at middle and high schools. Students are planning and developing activities for National Youth Violence Prevention Week in March 2011. Students will participate in Daisy's Development and Resource Center's Telethon in October and conduct Teen Safe Driving activities with their local Allstate Agent and the County Coroner before prom in May 2011.
With support from Allstate agents and employee volunteers, SAVE chapters will be able to provide leadership in their schools and communities to ensure that all students will be encouraged and empowered with healthy life skills while engaging in educational activities and opportunities to promote teen safe driving and youth safety.
SAVE is a peer-to-peer organization that focuses on the power of positive peer influences. According to a recent Allstate Foundation survey, Shifting Teen Attitudes: The State of Teen Driving 2009, peers are a major influence on teens – both positive and negative. Some of the concerning statistics that SAVE chapters will address include:
• Eighty-two percent of teens reported using cell phones while driving.
• Nearly half (48 percent) of girls admit they are likely to speed more than 10 mph over the limit, versus 36 percent of boys.
• Seventy-seven percent of teens admit they have felt unsafe with another teen's driving.
“This generous grant from The Allstate Foundation will assist students in finding real solutions to the issues of teen safe driving that they face each day,” stated SAVE’s executive director, Carleen Wray.
Previous assistance from The Allstate Foundation has benefited SAVE schools in North Carolina, South Carolina, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, Nevada, Michigan, Minnesota, Texas, Oklahoma, Utah, Wisconsin, California, Colorado, and Ohio.
“By empowering teens to become smart driving activists in their schools and communities, we hope to reverse the staggering statistics,” said Bill McGrath, Regional Sales Leader for Allstate’s Midwest Region of Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin. “Through programs like SAVE, we seek to develop innovative, teen-informed approaches to raise awareness of the issue and ultimately, to help save lives and reduce injuries.”
About the National Association of Students Against Violence Everywhere: SAVE started at West Charlotte High School in Charlotte, N.C. in 1989 following the tragic death of a student who was trying to break up a fight at an off-campus party. Students met first to console each other, then as an organization to promote violence prevention and to work together to prevent future incidents from occurring. SAVE provides education about the effects and consequences of violence and helps provide safe activities for students, parents and communities. For more information on SAVE or starting a SAVE chapter, visit www.nationalsave.org, or contact SAVE at (866) 343-SAVE to receive free start-up materials and guidance.
About The Allstate Foundation:
Established in 1952, The Allstate Foundation is an independent, charitable organization made possible by subsidiaries of The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL). Allstate and The Allstate Foundation sponsor community initiatives to promote safe and vital communities; tolerance, inclusion, and diversity; and economic empowerment. The Allstate Foundation believes in the financial potential of every individual and in helping America's families achieve their American dream.
# # #
Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE), Inc. is a nonprofit organization striving to decrease violence in our schools and communities by promoting student involvement, education and service opportunities to provide safer environments for learning.
Source
Drunk driving penalties to get tougher
Nova Scotia is about to get tougher on drinking drivers.
As a result of a change to the province’s Motor Vehicle Act that goes into effect on Oct. 26, drivers with blood-alcohol levels between 50 milligrams and 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood will lose their licences for seven days for a first offence, up from 24 hours. The penalty for a second offence is 15 days and 30 days for a third offence.
Drivers also must pay an $89.63 fee to get their licences reinstated.
Those discovered to have 80 milligrams of alcohol or higher in 100 millilitres of blood will continue to face criminal charges.
Margaret Miller, the national past president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, said the move is something the organization has been advocating for many years.
"I think, literally, eight to 10 years it’s been on our radar as one of the measures that would significantly reduce impaired-driving deaths and injuries," said the Shubenacadie woman whose son was killed by a drunk driver in 2004.
The change to the Motor Vehicle Act was passed last October but its implementation has been delayed. In an interview in May, Transportation Minister Bill Estabrooks blamed the delay on computer problems at Service Nova Scotia.
Miller said her organization will continue to push for random breath testing as another way to reduce the 70,000 deaths and injuries due to impaired driving that occur in Canada every year.
Random breath testing is used in many countries around the world, where statistics show decreases in deaths and injuries of 18 to 35 per cent after the random tests were introduced, she said.
"The real expectation in Canada is that if random breath testing comes into play, we’re going to see 20 per cent less deaths and injuries. If you take that from the 70,000, that’s a small town in Nova Scotia that will not be affected each year. . . . When you start looking at those numbers, my only question as a mother who has lost somebody is ‘Why didn’t they do this years ago?
Source
As a result of a change to the province’s Motor Vehicle Act that goes into effect on Oct. 26, drivers with blood-alcohol levels between 50 milligrams and 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood will lose their licences for seven days for a first offence, up from 24 hours. The penalty for a second offence is 15 days and 30 days for a third offence.
Drivers also must pay an $89.63 fee to get their licences reinstated.
Those discovered to have 80 milligrams of alcohol or higher in 100 millilitres of blood will continue to face criminal charges.
Margaret Miller, the national past president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, said the move is something the organization has been advocating for many years.
"I think, literally, eight to 10 years it’s been on our radar as one of the measures that would significantly reduce impaired-driving deaths and injuries," said the Shubenacadie woman whose son was killed by a drunk driver in 2004.
The change to the Motor Vehicle Act was passed last October but its implementation has been delayed. In an interview in May, Transportation Minister Bill Estabrooks blamed the delay on computer problems at Service Nova Scotia.
Miller said her organization will continue to push for random breath testing as another way to reduce the 70,000 deaths and injuries due to impaired driving that occur in Canada every year.
Random breath testing is used in many countries around the world, where statistics show decreases in deaths and injuries of 18 to 35 per cent after the random tests were introduced, she said.
"The real expectation in Canada is that if random breath testing comes into play, we’re going to see 20 per cent less deaths and injuries. If you take that from the 70,000, that’s a small town in Nova Scotia that will not be affected each year. . . . When you start looking at those numbers, my only question as a mother who has lost somebody is ‘Why didn’t they do this years ago?
Source
Safe driving stressed to students
With the real-life tragedy of a car crash that killed four Tracy teens in mid-September, Millennium High School students heard a message Thursday that hit close to home.
“It’s scary: Right when you are learning how to drive, you are at the highest risk of getting in an accident,” Kelly Browning told the students in a morning assembly. She’s the California executive director of Impact Teen Drivers, an organization that endeavors to make teens aware of the risks of reckless and distracted driving.
Sophomore Jordan Northcutt said she’s starting to think about getting her driver’s permit, and the presentation was instructive.
“They gave good tips on how to drive,” she said.
The Sept. 18 crash near Schulte and Lammers roads left a recent Millennium graduate and three other Tracy teens dead. Investigators said the car was speeding when the driver lost control, ran up a dirt embankment and flipped over, landing in a nearby canal.
For more than an hour Thursday, folks from Impact Teen Drivers and the California Highway Patrol stressed the importance of safe driving to the charter school’s freshman and sophomore students by combining heartfelt talks, student participation and striking video presentations.
Teens, especially, are at risk of making fatal driving choices. Car crashes are the No. 1 cause of death for young people from ages 16 to 20, according to Impact Teen Drivers. About 25 percent of fatal teen crashes happen when alcohol and drugs are involved. The rest can be chalked up to recklessness, distractions and the inexperience of youth.
When Browning asked if anyone had ever lost someone they knew in a car accident, most of the students raised their hands.
“We’ve had kids going to teens’ funerals this year,” said Scott Snyder, a teacher at Millenium. “It was probably one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had.”
In his closing remarks, event partner Ken Ucci of Get Real Behind the Wheel recalled another teen driving fatality. His son Mike was killed in 2007 when a car he was in crashed in front of West High School.
“You and I have to make an effort to become more aware and look out for each other,” said Ucci, who added with tears in his eyes that his son would probably be attending University of the Pacific if he hadn’t died.
During lunch at the school, Ucci and Browning were out with the students, giving them a chance to enter a sweepstakes to win either $1,000 or enrollment in racecar driving school. Ucci also handed out safe driving contracts for teens and parents.
Read more: Tracy Press - Safe driving stressed to students
Source
“It’s scary: Right when you are learning how to drive, you are at the highest risk of getting in an accident,” Kelly Browning told the students in a morning assembly. She’s the California executive director of Impact Teen Drivers, an organization that endeavors to make teens aware of the risks of reckless and distracted driving.
Sophomore Jordan Northcutt said she’s starting to think about getting her driver’s permit, and the presentation was instructive.
“They gave good tips on how to drive,” she said.
The Sept. 18 crash near Schulte and Lammers roads left a recent Millennium graduate and three other Tracy teens dead. Investigators said the car was speeding when the driver lost control, ran up a dirt embankment and flipped over, landing in a nearby canal.
For more than an hour Thursday, folks from Impact Teen Drivers and the California Highway Patrol stressed the importance of safe driving to the charter school’s freshman and sophomore students by combining heartfelt talks, student participation and striking video presentations.
Teens, especially, are at risk of making fatal driving choices. Car crashes are the No. 1 cause of death for young people from ages 16 to 20, according to Impact Teen Drivers. About 25 percent of fatal teen crashes happen when alcohol and drugs are involved. The rest can be chalked up to recklessness, distractions and the inexperience of youth.
When Browning asked if anyone had ever lost someone they knew in a car accident, most of the students raised their hands.
“We’ve had kids going to teens’ funerals this year,” said Scott Snyder, a teacher at Millenium. “It was probably one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had.”
In his closing remarks, event partner Ken Ucci of Get Real Behind the Wheel recalled another teen driving fatality. His son Mike was killed in 2007 when a car he was in crashed in front of West High School.
“You and I have to make an effort to become more aware and look out for each other,” said Ucci, who added with tears in his eyes that his son would probably be attending University of the Pacific if he hadn’t died.
During lunch at the school, Ucci and Browning were out with the students, giving them a chance to enter a sweepstakes to win either $1,000 or enrollment in racecar driving school. Ucci also handed out safe driving contracts for teens and parents.
Read more: Tracy Press - Safe driving stressed to students
Source
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